Biting the Bullet
by pookie92
Summary: Business deals, dirty politics, and assassins. A story about finding love in all the wrong places; if everyone can make it out alive, that is... Mir/San, Inu/Kag. AU. Rated for language and graphic content.
1. Preface

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Preface**

The phrase "bite the bullet" means to accept something difficult and try to live with it. Seeing as how that summed up my entire life, I'd come to adopt the phrase as my motto, the code by which I lived my life. That isn't to say that I have a less-than-stellar one; no, it's quite the opposite. But more on that later. What matters now is the definition of that phrase. Because it's kind of important, and it'll all make sense later on.

Good, now that everyone is on the same page, let's get this thing started. Like so many of these kinds of stories, it starts with a meeting between our handsome, stalwart, and charismatic hero (yours truly) and a mysterious stranger. . .

* * *

**AN: **Aaaaannnnddd I'm back. Sorry for the wait, but school and work happened. Stupid Life, you get in the way of me not having you. Anyway, please read and review, no flames. Hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter One: July 27th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Chapter One: July 27****th**

_Happy Birthday Tsujitani-sensei!_

I chuckled to myself as I opened the door to my office. The brightly colored and slightly crooked sign hung proudly draped across the glass wall opposite of me, marring my top-floor view of the fountains and city blocks below. Even so, it was nice that my employees still valued me as a person despite me being their boss—and the recent pay cut Accounting had to take last month. With as unrelenting and stressful as work had been lately, it was nice that we had a chance to relax and celebrate as our hard work paid off. The fact that we'd managed to land a major settlement the day before my thirty-first birthday was pure coincidence.

Walking over to my desk, I loosened my tie and tossed my sports jacket on my chair carelessly. I hit the intercom button on the phone. The speaker buzzed with white noise for a moment before a female voice dutifully answered.

"Yes, Tsujitani-sensei?"

I furrowed my brow in confusion. That didn't sound like the voice of my faithful yet apathetic personal assistant. "Kagome-chan?" I asked hesitantly.

"No, I'm sorry," the voice apologized modestly, "Higurashi-san is currently in Filing. Shall I have her paged for you, Sensei?"

I thought about it for a moment. If Kagome-chan was the filing room, she was probably too busy to be brought all the way up to the fifty-fourth floor. She would be undoubtedly very angry to be interrupted . . . but then again, what else were personal assistants for than to run to the beck and call of those whom they were assisting?

"Yes, thank you," I said into the speaker decisively. "And tell her it's urgent."

"Right away, sir." The phone clicked before returned to the white noise, signaling the disconnected line.

I smiled triumphantly to myself as I sat in my chair and folded my hands behind my head. Swiveling the chair around, I did my best to see around the flamboyant birthday sign to view the city lights of the fellow skyscrapers across the Tokyo skyline.

There wasn't a damn thing I would trade to be anywhere else in the world than in my office right now. As co-founder and CEO of Tsujitani-Yoshida Insurance Company life couldn't get much better. A successful business, bragging rights, and more money than a man of my age should legally have were only some of the perks, not to mention all of the all-too-willing women that those perks brought.

A brusque knock at my door jolted me from my extra-curricular thoughts. Without waiting for a welcome, Higurashi Kagome, my ever-punctual personal assistant entered the office in an impatient huff.

Kagome-chan was a very beautiful woman, and most unfortunately immune to my own devilishly handsome looks and overwhelming charm, no matter how hard I used them to my advantage. She was just too focused on the job, which is why I suppose my partner in business, Hachi, had hired her for me. He must've known I would've tried something with her, and was confident in her ability to turn me down flat. And after three years, I still haven't managed to crack her.

"What do you want, Miroku-sensei?" she asked, sounding bored and much too busy to be dealing with me at the same time. "Try to keep it short, will you? I have a lot of work to do since you so conveniently forget to turn your files in every month."

Oh that's right. Without Kagome-chan, I also would not get very much work done.

"Kagome-chan," I mocked pain, clapping a hand to my heart while giving her a cheeky smirk, "Can't you even manage one teeny birthday wish for your favorite boss?"

Her eyebrow twitched in ill-concealed anger. "Did you really call me all the way up here so urgently just for your stupid ego?"

I shook my head disapprovingly. "Now, now, Kagome-chan. You shouldn't talk like that. You're much too young to be that cynical."

"If I'm cynical it's only because three years of dealing with your sexual harassment and ridiculous management style have made me that way."

I laughed. Yes, Kagome-chan was certainly a breath of fresh air around this building and exactly what I needed. We'd learned to balance each other out perfectly: her playing the responsible, mature employee while I bid my time and simply did whatever I felt like doing for the day, only remembering to sign the dotted line after she'd highlighted it and circled it with a red pen.

"No," I responded lightly. "Believe it or not, I actually did have something for you to do."

Kagome-chan raised her eyebrows in slight surprise and—was it my imagination?—a small flicker of approval. She adjusted the thick stack of papers and the clipboard she hugged to her chest as I patted the top of my desk, inviting her closer. I produced a business card and a newspaper clipping as she approached and leaned down curiously to view what I'd displayed.

"What's this?" Kagome-chan asked, sitting down in the chair across the desk from me and unloading her arms in her lap.

"This," I said, sliding the business card over to her with two fingers, "Is the contact information for Kobayashi Hakudoshi. And this," I gestured to the newspaper clipping, "Is a recent article published about the Kumo conglomerate. He's the public figure apparently."

"Kumo?" Kagome-chan's nose crinkled at the name. "Weird thing to call a business, isn't it?"

"Names aside, it's the person who's important," I insisted. "Hachi informed me that I have a meeting with him tomorrow at ten."

Again, Kagome-chan's brow furrowed. "So? What's the big deal then?"

I leaned back in my chair, smiling haughtily. "The problem, Kagome-chan, is that beyond what's written in this article, I hardly know anything about him. And I'm sure you would know why that would be an issue."

Kagome-chan nodded understandingly. "Confidentiality and business trust." She waved away my praise modestly. "So what do you want me to do? Try and contact him? Do some extra, covert research on him? Because, I have to say, Sensei, I've never heard of this Kobayashi-san before. I doubt I'll be able to recover much."

I put my hand up, waving away her doubtful inquiries. "No, no. Nothing like that. It's all rather civil, actually. A simple preemptive meeting will suffice."

"Preemptive? How will that work? Ten o'clock tomorrow morning is the next available opening in your schedule; we can't afford to reschedule or cancel anyone's appointment with so little in advance."

"Well, I seem to recall a certain gathering going on around here tonight. A celebration of something rather important," I mused pointedly, directing her gaze to the birthday banner.

Kagome-chan blinked disbelievingly. "You want me to get him to come to your birthday party? Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack," I responded gravely. "I think you'll find that I'm a rather important figure in Japan's economy, Kagome-chan. The birthday party of the youngest, most successful insurance guru is a party that one would not so carelessly miss."

"Fine," Kagome-chan sighed, gathering her papers to her chest again and standing to take her leave. "I'll give him a call." She accepted the business card.

"Thank you, Kagome-chan," I said genuinely. "What would I do without you?"

"Wither and die," she responded promptly. Opening the door, she turned back to me. "We've ordered rum cake and rocky road ice cream for your party tonight, as usual. Happy birthday, Miroku-sensei."

She'd barely closed the door behind her when the phone suddenly rang obnoxiously. I was sorely tempted to disconnect the call without even answering; I wasn't exactly keen on working on my birthday, but Kagome-chan was right. There were far too many influential clients on my schedule today to ignore.

I picked up the receiver, not bothering with the intercom. "Yes?"

"Tsujitani-sensei?" It was the same female voice that had answered in Kagome-chan's place before. I was a little baffled. Why hadn't I recognized her voice? Was she new? I didn't recall any recent applicants. The voice continued, "Your fiancé, Nanako-san called."

I winced. Ah yes, my fiancée. Nanako Koharu was seven years younger than me and very enthusiastic about our engagement. Honestly, I could've done without marriage, if only because I specifically did not want to marry Koharu-chan, but I was also aware that I was quickly approaching the age when prominent, bachelor businessmen were frowned upon. Koharu-chan just happened to be the girl I'd been most recently seeing when the decision was made to have me start looking to settle down. It was horrible, I knew, but I blamed the whole thing on business politics.

I floundered for an excuse. "Ah, actually, I think I'm too busy to see her at the moment, could you leave her a message for me?"

"Sorry, sir." This apology did not sound as sincere as her last one. "Nanako-san's already here. She's on her way up."

I cursed as I replaced the phone on the receiver. How much time did I have till Koharu-chan made her way up to the top floor? How long ago did she arrive here in the first place? I wondered if I had enough time to make an escape before she made it to my office.

The door opened and I jumped, nearly tumbling out of my chair as I whirled around to face the unknown visitor. My stomach dropped upon seeing Koharu-chan. Crap. Now how do I get rid of her?

"Miroku!" she called happily, spreading her arms and running towards me. I knew she was expecting me to meet her halfway, and reluctantly, I stood as well, stepping around the desk and catching her as she bulldozed into my chest. She nuzzled her head into my neck, saying something that was too muffled by the collar of my shirt.

"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered, rubbing her back and hoping that my response was appropriate enough.

"Miroku," Koharu-chan whined, pulling her face out of my neck and pouting up at me. "You didn't call me earlier like you promised!"

I grimaced. I'd conveniently forgotten. "Heh," I chuckled nervously, "Did I promise that? I'm sorry, Koharu-chan. It's been really busy around here." I looked around, still grasping for any chance to escape. "In fact," I hedged, glancing at the clock, "I'm headed out to a meeting right now!"

Koharu-chan's frown deepened. "Now?" she repeated doubtfully. "But it's the middle of lunch hour!"

"Exactly!" I insisted, dropping my hands from her waist and going back to my desk. I fumbled for any papers lying about and shoved them haphazardly into my briefcase. "It's a, uh, a lunch meeting. We're discussing our meeting over lunch." Smooth, Miroku.

Koharu-chan looked melodramatically upset. "So, you're leaving right this second?"

"Unfortunately," I shrugged apologetically. "Listen, Koharu-chan, I'm really sorry, but I've got to go." I kissed her quickly, eliciting a small noise of complaint from her when my lips didn't linger. "I'll see you later."

I left my office hastily, ignoring the strange looks from employees as they watched their boss walk out for an ordinary lunch with his briefcase in tow. Koharu-chan followed me out, sticking close to my side; going on about all the things we were going to do after my birthday party tonight. I had to admit some of the innuendos she mentioned did sound exciting, but then again I was only a man. Besides, my greater focus was dedicated to the fact that my excuse of a lunch meeting was going to quickly blow up in my face if Koharu-chan didn't back off soon.

Blessedly, I spotted my business partner, Yoshida Hachi walking towards us, his hand raised in a friendly gesture as he approached.

"Hey, Miroku-sama," he greeted humbly. I wasn't quite sure why he felt the need to address me so respectfully, seeing as how he was sixteen years my senior. He was the junior partner in the company, as the idea of launching a global insurance company directly centered in the busy hub of Tokyo had been mine originally, but still.

"Are you going to lunch?" Hachi clarified, giving my briefcase a confused glance.

"Of course, Hachi," I said pointedly, trying to enlighten him to my plight without blowing my cover with Koharu-chan. "Don't you remember that _meeting_, with that _client_?"

His brow furrowed. "I don't think so, Miroku-sama. I don't remember a lunch meeting scheduled for—ahh!"

He was interrupted by the point of my elbow digging sharply, yet indiscreetly into his side. I raised my eyebrows, looking from him to Koharu-chan and back to him again emphatically. He looked stymied for a moment longer, but he quickly saved face and smiled weakly at Koharu-chan, who observed us with a blank, naïve smile.

"Oh," Hachi stumbled to sound convincing. "Oh yes, _that_ meeting. Yes. Well, we should definitely be heading out then, Miroku-sama; we wouldn't want to be late."

I grinned at Koharu-chan widely. "You heard the man. That's my cue."

She pouted cutely again, a move that made her appear several years younger than she actually was. Puckering her lips, she pointed a slim and perfectly manicured finger at them, blatantly hinting at what she was after. I licked my lips, a pitiful effort to hide the wince that momentarily flashed across my face. She wasn't a terrible kisser or anything. Her lips were just . . . really small. Alarmingly so, and it was slightly awkward to kiss her. I dreaded my married life.

I kissed her, groaning inwardly as she latched her hands behind my neck and forced me to linger this time. Her tongue lapped at my bottom lip greedily, and I reluctantly opened my mouth to her overenthusiastic exploring. Finally, I put my hand on her collarbone firmly, giving her a slight push backwards and ripping our mouths apart with a sloppy sounding _pop!_

I ignored Hachi's amused smiled as we headed to the elevators, intentionally waiting on one to arrive from the twenty-third floor to avoid having to spend more time with Koharu-chan and the possibility of enduring another mismatched goodbye kiss. He was gracious enough to wait until we'd entered the elevator to allow his chuckles to escape, though this did little to lighten my mood. I normally didn't have a problem with public displays of affection, especially when I was a part of them, but ever since Koharu-chan had made that dreaded leap from casual girlfriend to legitimate fiancée, I preferred to keep everything on the back burner.

"You have to feel somewhat bad for her," Hachi chided lightly as his chuckling abated. "I think she's the only one unaware of how one-sided your relationship is."

"Don't start with me, Hachi," I warned tiredly, holding my arm in front of the open elevator doors and letting him pass through first. "Let's not forget who sat in on that stockholders meeting that decided this whole engagement mess I'm in."

"Come on, Miroku-sama," he said, his voice sounding much more genial, "I'm your oldest friend and you know I only want what's best for you."

I nodded, waving to the entrance guard as we stepped out of the building. Hachi hailed us a cab. "The time frame could've been a little looser, though," I said lowly, the corners of my mouth edging towards a smile as I allowed myself to joke.

"Yes well," Hachi said dismissively, bowing slightly as he held the door of the cab open for me. "Consider it advance payback for forcing me to play along with this cruel trick on Nanako-san."

I laughed out loud, enjoying the rare moment Hachi took to kid around with me. "Of course, Hachi," I agreed. "Shall I pay for the cab fare as well?"

Hachi chuckled again. "You'll be covering lunch too, I'm afraid. You insisted we leave so quickly that my jacket and wallet are still on the top floor of the building." His chuckles grew into full-out laughter as he clapped a hand to his rotund belly. "And don't be stingy. I think I'll be craving the steak this afternoon."

* * *

Koharu-chan clung to my arm like deadweight. There wasn't any shaking her, and flirting with some of the more attractive single women attending my birthday party was impossible to get away with. This fiancée business was seriously hampering my hard-earned reputation as a womanizer, a label I'd come to terms with and accepted long ago. There wasn't much denying to be done when faced with the truth, after all.

Notwithstanding, the party as a whole wasn't a bust. Kagome-chan, in her usual fashion, had blown everyone away with the aesthetics and spared no expense when celebrating yours truly. I was touched. Even if the effort was more for the stockholders and potential clients, a show to impress them with the obvious amount of money we made, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little self-centered about the affair.

I did my best as host and honoree, floating from group to group with Koharu-chan, chatting amiably and thanking several men for their business and their time. The haze of the alcohol was barely getting to me as I joined another group, myself conversing lightly with a gentleman maybe five or six years older than me and his wife, who was flighty enough to keep Koharu-chan entertained as well.

There was a slight tug at my elbow and I politely excused myself, turning to see who was trying to grab my attention.

"Miroku-sama," Hachi said, gesturing with his wine-laden hand to the unknown man at his side, "This is Kobayashi Hakudoshi, the PR for the Kumo conglomerate." He then gestured to me with the same hand, turning to address Kobayashi-san, "This is Tsujitani-shachō, the CEO of our company."

Kobayashi-san bowed his head deeply in respect. He was a very striking looking man, with long, shaggy hair and narrow, lavender colored eyes. Despite his young looking face—he looked younger than me, even—his hair was a silvery gray, though this did little to age him.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, Tsujitani-shachō," Kobayashi-san said, his head still bowed and his eyes lowered respectfully. "I'm looking forward to our meeting tomorrow morning."

"Likewise, Kobayashi-san." I bowed my own head slightly, feeling a little awkward at the formalities during such a relaxed party.

Kobayashi-san shook his head modestly, "Please, call me Hakudoshi. After all, I hope we'll be doing quite a lot of business together in the near future."

This man was certainly confident. There was still a chance the company could decline the Kumo application; after all, as Kagome-chan and I discussed earlier today, there was still too much we didn't know about Hakudoshi-san or the company he represented. I stared at him with interest, not quite sure what heavy pit developing in my stomach at the moment meant.

Luckily, Hachi broke the tense air with a light-hearted laugh. "Yes, well," he chuckled flippantly, "There's still much to be done concerning that matter, isn't there?"

Hakudoshi-san cut Hachi a contemptuous glare, unnoticed by anyone else other than myself as he quickly regained his composure. Choosing not to address Hachi, he turned back to me. He seemed to think that I was going to be his "in" with my own company.

"I'm sure we won't have any trouble," he nodded at me assumingly. There was something about his tone and behavior that I didn't like, even though all in all there was little he gave me little to complain about. I was suddenly very glad that I had talked Kagome-chan into getting him to come tonight; this preemptive meeting was proving to already be a very good judgment call.

"Anyway," I finally cut in lamely, "Is now really the time to be discussing business?" Koharu-chan seemed to have finished her conversation with the woman from before and appeared at my side, leaning into my arm. I'd never been so glad to see her in my life. I looked back to Hakudoshi-san and gestured to the bar. "Have a drink, Hakudoshi-san," I invited, "Enjoy your time here tonight. We'll talk tomorrow." I nodded as a way to excuse myself, once again noting his less-than-pleased face at being dismissed so glibly.

My brief meeting with Hakudoshi-san weighed down my mind for a substantial amount of time afterwards, though between the continual amount of alcohol I poured into my system and Koharu-chan leaning up to whisper pointedly in my ear something about wanting to go back to my place, the previously overwhelming dread at the prospect of our formal appointment tomorrow lightened some. I took Koharu-chan home sometime after midnight, embarrassing our cab driver as I allowed her to undo the first few buttons on my shirt and pepper kisses along my neck and collarbone. I was drunk enough to want it, and my haze was strong enough to completely rid myself of any second thoughts.

Drunk or not, I figured I had worried too much over my appointment with Hakudoshi-san in the morning. Why worry about something that hadn't happened yet? If we approved him, great; if not, it wasn't our problem. More importantly, it wasn't _my_ problem.

By the time the back of my knees hit my bed and I toppled backwards, taking Koharu-chan with me, all thoughts regarding Hakudoshi-san, his peculiar and suspicious behavior, and our appointment tomorrow had left me entirely.

* * *

**AN: **"Kumo" means "spider" in Japanese.

"Sensei" is an honorific usually given to someone who holds greater knowledge than the speaker. People inside Miroku's company call him "Sensei," whereas clients or applicants would address him as "Shachō" a title given to business CEOs.

All last names (besides Kagome's) have been made up... Although I do believe Tsujitani is the last name of Miroku's seiyuu, so there's that. Also, I'll be holding to Japanese custom that dictates addressing someone by their last name, unless otherwise told or the relationship allows familiarity.


	3. Chapter Two: July 28th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Chapter Two: July 28****th**

It took me a long, dragging moment to wake myself up the next morning. My head was pounding obnoxiously, an angry reminder of the number of drinks I had the night before. I wasn't normally a heavy drinker, though last night I splurged on account of the occasion. Even so, it wouldn't be the first time I had to go to work with a hangover.

I vaguely wondered why the alarm hadn't gone off this morning before I was reminded that Koharu-chan had worked her way into spending the night yet again. Though I didn't remember a good chunk of the night before (my memory started to fail as the number of drinks I'd consumed rose) I always remembered when I'd slept with Koharu-chan, because I always awoke feeling the same way: accomplished, with just the slightest twinge of guilt.

Shrugging away the strange sense of satisfied remorse, I stretched and staggered out of bed, dragging the sheets halfway with me as they remained tangled around my feet. I pulled on some sweat pants, not bothering with real clothes until after I showered. First things first, however, I needed some coffee, and if there was any one benefit to having Koharu-chan around, it was that she made a damn good pot of coffee.

I made my way towards the kitchen, my bare feet padding across the hardwood floors of my penthouse apartment noiselessly. The smell of freshly brewed coffee became stronger the closer I got and my mouth watered appropriately. I knew most people thought me strange for my preference of coffee to tea, but there was something about the caffeine and stronger taste that did more for me than tea ever could.

Koharu smiled as I entered the kitchen, her own mug of coffee perched on her bottom lip as she winked, "Good morning, honey."

"Morning." I walked over to her obediently and gave her a quick kiss before I looked around for my own mug of coffee. "Did you brew one for me?" I asked expectantly.

"Black, just like always," she nodded, stepping aside to reveal the mug she'd poured for me.

I sighed gratefully, not even pausing to cool off my coffee as I raised the mug to my lip, taking a greedy swig. Koharu-chan watched me coyly, balancing her weight on one leg while using the other one to draw lazy designs across the tile. She was wearing the shirt I had on yesterday, albeit incredibly more wrinkled. I flashed an awkward smile, hoping she didn't have any ideas similar to the ones she had last night, and a few moments passed in a slightly uncomfortable silence.

Remembering the absence of my alarm this morning, I asked after a while, "What time is it?" I glanced around, finding the digital clock on the stovetop. My stomach dropped as I realized how late it was.

"A little after ten," Koharu-chan clarified unnecessarily, with an uncaring shrug. "But it's not like it matters, right? I mean, you are the boss."

"Shit!" I slammed my half-drank coffee mug onto the countertop, paying no mind as the coffee sloshed over the side. "I have a meeting, Koharu-chan! Right now; I'm already late! _Dammit!_"

"Hey!" Koharu-chan was offended, as if I was blaming her for making me so late. In truth, I sort of was, as she had been the one to turn off my alarm this morning. "It's not like I knew, okay?"

I ignored her, running back to the bathroom and jumping in the shower hastily. I didn't wait for the water to heat and I washed my hair hurriedly in cold water. I skipped shaving and slapped cologne onto my overnight scruff, pulling on un-ironed slacks and a white button-up shirt with a blindly selected tie.

By the time I was able to hail a cab, it was twenty passed ten. I lived fifteen minutes from the building, and could only pray that Hachi could keep Hakudoshi-san entertained long enough for me to arrive.

* * *

I nodded hurriedly in thanks as the doorman opened the front doors to the building for me as usual, bowing deeply and muttering a polite, "Tsujitani-shachō," in greeting. With my eye solely focused on the elevators on the opposite side of the lobby, I wasn't paying too much attention on my surrounding area and wasn't prepared when a mail cart suddenly materialized in my way. I ran into it clumsily, the hard metal of the cart clanging into my shins painfully.

"Damn!" I heard a voice curse bitterly. "Hey watch where you're going, huh, man—whoa…"

The voice cut itself off, and I looked up from briefly inspecting my injury into the young, wide-eyed face of one of our interns, the pusher of the offending mail cart.

The boy, looking no older than eighteen or nineteen years old, was backpedaling quickly as he recognized me. "I'm so sorry, Tsujitani-sensei, I didn't see you there—I mean if I'd known it was you, I wouldn't have…" He trailed off, looking embarrassed and afraid.

"Don't worry about it," I shrugged, wincing slightly as I bore a little more weight on my hurt leg. I studied him for a moment, his face ringing some distant bell of familiarity. Normally, Hachi screened all of our interns, though on occasion, I'd interviewed some in the past. I wondered if this mail cart pusher had been one of them.

Ignoring the fact that I was now forty-five minutes late to my appointment with Hakudoshi-san, I inquired, "What's your name?"

The boy gulped. "F-Fujimoto, sir. Fujimoto Shippo."

I nodded thoughtfully. "You look familiar."

"I was interviewed by you personally when I applied here last summer." Shippo-kun's face reddened a little. "A-am I fired?"

I shook my head. "No, no," I assured him mildly. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen." His answers were direct and obedient; though I got the sense he was confused at all of the sudden questions. I'm sure I hadn't talked to him since our initial interview, but I liked to keep all of my employees on a personal level. Which reminded me, I still needed to find out who that mysterious woman who kept answering all of my pages yesterday was.

I nodded at Shippo-kun again. "Well, it's good to see you've stuck it out here, Shippo-kun. I hope to see you around." I waved, leaving the now very confused and slightly shocked intern in my wake.

Resuming my earlier rush, I jogged over to the elevators, impatiently punching the up button several times until the signifying arrow finally lit up over the doors. Jumping inside and hitting the button with the glowing '54' next to it, I tapped my foot obnoxiously as I waited for fellow passengers to file lazily onto the elevator with me.

A few agonizing minutes later, I finally stepped onto the floor of my and Hachi's offices, only to be bombarded with a frantic looking woman with auburn hair, who pulled me forward irritably.

"You're late, Tsujitani-sensei," she scolded, and I immediately recognized her voice as the mysterious receptionist from the day before.

"I'm aware of that," I responded in kind, frowning as she stepped behind me, planted her hands firmly on my mid-back and started pushing me forward.

Just as we reached the corner that rounded off and led directly to my office, the pushy receptionist suddenly halted behind me, her hands grabbing onto my suit jacket and forcing me to a stop as well. She rushed in front of me, her eyes sweeping from my head to my feet disapprovingly.

"You're a mess," she muttered, her thumb tucked to her chin contemplatively.

"Excuse me?" I was quickly losing patience with this woman, a rare thing indeed. I wasn't by any means the world's most patient man, yet I strived to remain so whenever I dealt with the fairer sex. This woman, however, was proving to be quite a battle indeed.

"Well, you can't go in there looking like that, can you?" She began tugging at my tie, straightening it futilely before sighing, undoing and re-tying the thing altogether. Wiping her hands down the front of my shirt, she tried to rid it of any unsightly wrinkles and twisted it so it tucked neatly into my trousers; in my haste this morning, I neglected to tuck my shirt in properly.

Remembering my run-in with Shippo-kun earlier, I asked, "What's your name?"

The receptionist paused in her assessment of me and frowned. "Aoi."

"What's your first name?" I pressed.

"Ayame," she responded curtly, her frown deepening. Apparently, I'd offended her somehow. She brought our budding conversation to an end as she pushed me forward again, urging me into my office.

I held up my hand in surrender, and finally her pushing ceased as I placed my hand on the handle of my office door. "One more thing," I said quickly, momentarily stalling my waiting appointment and turning back to Ayame-san. "Are you new?"

That did it. Ayame-san puffed a short breath of air out of her nose angrily as she snapped, "No, I've been here for four years!" With that, she reached around me, opened the door, and rudely shoved me inside, slamming the door shut behind me.

"Miroku-sama!" Hachi rose from one of the guest chairs placed before my desk gratefully. In the chair beside him, Hakudoshi-san also got to his feet, looking highly irritated and pleased to see me at the same time. Hachi stretched his hand towards me eagerly and I shook it, offering a silent apology to my friend and business partner as I turned to Hakudoshi-san.

"Having a rough morning, Tsujitani-shachō?" Hakudoshi-san greeted as he bowed his head slightly. It was nearly unnoticeable, yet I didn't miss the sneer in his voice. Perhaps I had overestimated his relief at seeing me.

"Yes," I admitted sheepishly, nodding at him and stepping behind my desk to take my own seat. "I am sorry I'm so late. You'll have to forgive me, Hakudoshi-san."

"Of course. There's no harm done."

I gave him a small smile, remembering my hesitation the night before at meeting with him today. The uneasiness was slowly creeping back up on me, and I shrugged it away almost nervously. It's just a preliminary appointment, Miroku, I reminded myself. Nothing to get worked up over.

"Yes, well," Hachi jumped in, rubbing his hands together earnestly before folding them in his lap. "No point in putting this off any further. Let's get started, shall we?"

I agreed hastily, turning back to Hakudoshi-san, who leaned over to retrieve his briefcase sitting on the floor beside his chair.

"As you both know, I've come on behalf of the Kumo conglomerate," he began, flipping the latches of his briefcase open with his thumbs. He kept the contents of it mysteriously hidden from both my and Hachi's view, though I tried to pay this no mind. He produced two identical and very thick pamphlets, passing them over to Hachi and I.

"Our company does like to keep things as tight-lipped as possible, as I'm sure you understand," Hakudoshi-san continued, "Though I have prepared a brief statement of what we're hoping to gain by applying with your company."

I raised an eyebrow, perplexed. The pamphlet had to be at least thirty pages long; not exactly what I'd call "brief." I skimmed through the first few pages, frowning and flipping through the entire thing in confusion. Most of it seemed to be dedicated to a strict privacy policy, demanding our company's cooperation and silence if we were to go into business together. On the last page were two dotted lines, clearly a spot for both my and Hachi's signatures. I reread the last few paragraphs, trying to pinpoint exactly what Hakudoshi-san meant by saying these pamphlets contained his company's wishes beyond privacy and silence.

"Um," I hedged, my formalities dropping as my uneasiness and befuddlement grew. "In terms of an insurance policy, what exactly were you looking for?"

Hakudoshi-san smiled, a haughty and indiscernible grin. "Asset and loss protection," he said simply. "It's in the last stanza of the pamphlet. Sentence six."

I was stymied, and from the looks of it, Hachi was too as we both rifled through the pamphlet again in search of Hakudoshi-san's directive. I frowned as I read through it, not impressed by the vague and indefinite nature of the policy request.

Hachi cleared his throat, still reading through the same stanza as he clarified, "Asset and loss protection? What exactly does this entail?"

Hakudoshi-san was looking to me as he explained, "The Kumo conglomerate is looking to have our assets and losses protected against needless and time-consuming issues of court and legality." He nodded at me, as if urging me to agree to with him. "It's understandable, yes?"

I was fairly certain that I did not want to know the answer, yet I asked anyway, "What do you mean by losses?"

The cruel grin was present on his face, yet his eyes narrowed dangerously. "You'll have to forgive me, Tsujitani-shachō, but I'm afraid that falls under our confidentiality clause. Third page, second stanza, sentence four."

Hachi hastily flipped back to the corresponding page, his eyebrows creasing in some measure of concern as he skimmed the stanza over. I held Hakudoshi-san's gaze, my stomach churning as I stared into his blank, yet somehow angry eyes.

"Hakudoshi-san," Hachi cut in, looking to dispel the tension between the two of us, "If we were to accept your application, we could potentially be shelling out significant amounts of money on your company's behalf. It's to our benefit to know exactly what we'll be insuring." He spread his hands emphatically. "I'm sure you understand."

Hakudoshi-san's hard glare slid slowly from me to Hachi. A few more tense seconds ticked by before he abruptly opened his briefcase again. He retrieved a checkbook, flipping it open and holding a pen at the ready. "The Kumo conglomerate is prepared to pay any premium in full, today." He tilted his head insistently. "And any other fee you deem necessary."

Hachi widened his eyes and looked to me, seeming to leave the matter in my hands. I knew he didn't feel any better about this venture than I, and for a few moments I simply watched Hakudoshi-san, looking for any more signs of disagreeable behavior. He held my gaze, his pen tapping expectantly against the edge of his open checkbook.

Finally, I held my hand up, stalling his waiting pen. "I'm sorry, Hakudoshi-san. Without sufficient information, it's too risky of an investment on our half." I shook my head, floundering for some sort of apology.

Hakudoshi-san flipped his checkbook shut and glared at Hachi before his gaze turned back to me. "Perhaps we could discuss things further in private," he said pointedly.

Hachi and I exchanged a look; he seemed reluctant to leave me alone with Hakudoshi-san, but I waved him on assuredly. He sighed heavily before slowly getting to his feet once more.

"Well, then," he excused himself, clapping his hands together restlessly before shoving them into his pockets. "I'll be just outside if you need me." He left, closing the door soundly behind him.

I looked back to Hakudoshi-san, waiting on him expectantly, though his eyes remained trained on the door, as if making sure that Hachi wasn't eavesdropping.

Finally, he turned back to me, leaning forward and pressing his fingertips together while he rested his elbows on my desk. "Tsujitani-shachō," he said, his voice low and his words careful, "I would've rather that things did not come to this, but if you insist." He leaned back, settling into his chair and crossing his legs. His demeanor had completely relaxed, contrasting his prior tense and irritable behavior up until now. He continued, "The Kumo conglomerate, despite its name, is a very small and intimate group of…" he hesitated, thoughtfully considering his choice of words, "Businessmen. We're detail-oriented, and extremely efficient." His eyes gleamed with some unsettling emotion.

I stared at him hard, my brow creasing in consternation as he went on. If I was uncertain about funding his company before, I had no questions about it now. No matter what Hakudoshi-san said further about the Kumo conglomerate, I was not accepting their application.

Hakudoshi-san went on, "In order for a business to flourish productively, our employees, or assets, must be a part of that productivity." He gestured to me emphatically, ensuring that as an owner of my own company, I understood. "However," he continued, "sometimes, as is especially so with Kumo, our assets can quickly turn into losses." He smiled at me again; the same creepy and haughty smile as before. "As losses represent potential risks, for the benefit of the company, naturally they have to be eliminated."

His words hung in the air heavily, making the silence between us markedly more uncomfortable as I fought to gather my thoughts. He reopened his checkbook, retaining a remarkable amount of confidence that we were still going to approve his policy.

"Now," he said conversationally, "How much do we owe you?"

I shook my head defiantly. "I'm sorry, Hakudoshi-san," I said unapologetically, standing up from my desk and folding my arms. "We can't accept your application. It's too risky." I gave him my own narrowed-eye look. "It's as you say, risks have to be eliminated."

Hakudoshi-san seemed frozen in place, though his eyes thinned into furious slits. "Are you sure you won't reconsider, then?" he asked finally, his words sounding much more like a threat than a question.

"I'm sure," I replied coldly, nodding to the door pointedly.

Giving a curt nod of his own, Hakudoshi-san took the hint and put his checkbook and pen away, gathering his overcoat and briefcase. As he reached the door, he turned back, his eyes still narrowed into angry slits. "I hope you'll realize you're making a mistake."

"I'm sure I'm not," I retorted quickly. "Have a good day, Kobayashi-san."

* * *

After dismissing Hakudoshi-san, I didn't spare our appointment this morning a second thought. It wasn't the first time I'd declined a less-than-ethical application, and I supposed it certainly wouldn't be the last. I passed the rest of the day more or less contentedly, chatting with some of the girls from Accounting and Filing and teasing Kagome-chan occasionally. As the day dwindled down, I boarded an elevator with my trusty personal assistant, laughing as she muttered something about me being a twisted pervert.

"Ah, lighten up, Kagome-chan," I encouraged, squeezing her shoulder affectionately. "I'm only kidding around."

"That's your problem, Miroku-sensei," Kagome-chan informed me testily, "You never stop kidding around. You should learn to be more serious some of the time."

I frowned, feigning offense. "I can be serious," I insisted. By the sound of Kagome-chan's snort, she didn't believe me.

On the fortieth floor, the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened, revealing a very disgruntled Ayame-san. Her mood appeared to have worsened considerably upon seeing me in the elevator, and she stalled for a moment before reluctantly boarding. She nodded at Kagome-chan politely.

"Higurashi-san," she greeted mildly.

"Ayame-san." Kagome-chan responded in kind, smirking slightly at Ayame-san's obviously sour mood. "Is your husband picking you up again today?"

This particular bit of information caught my attention and I couldn't help but interrupt. "You're married?" I inquired of Ayame-san.

She shot me a dirty look. "Yes. Are you jealous?"

"No," I defended, a little hurt at the accusation. "I just didn't know. How long have you been married?"

Ayame-san's defensive behavior lightened some. "A little over two years," she answered. Her eyes were downcast and her shoulders hunched, as if she was ashamed of her aggressive nature towards me.

I smiled. "He's a lucky guy," I said dotingly, proud of myself for accomplishing my private mission of getting to know this mysterious receptionist. "What's his name?"

"Koga. He's a police officer."

I let out an impressed whistle as the elevator slowed to its final stop and opened its doors to reveal the lobby. Being the gentleman, I waited until both Kagome-chan and Ayame-san walked out of the elevator before stepping out myself.

"See you tomorrow, Ayame-san," Kagome-chan called to her, waving as she walked out of the building, presumably to meet her waiting husband, Koga.

Ayame-san waved in return, nodding and smiling as the doorman held the glass doors open for her as she stepped onto the cement steps leading up to the building. I turned back to Kagome-chan, preparing for our daily ritual of escorting her to her cab home.

"Ready?" I asked, offering my arm for her to take, though knowing she'd decline it like always. True to form, she shook her head and made her way to the front doors as I tagged along.

"I was serious about what I said before, Sensei," she said suddenly, and I looked down at her inquisitively. Our walk out of the building halted momentarily and we stood a few feet from the entrance.

"What do you mean?"

"You need to not joke around so much. Yoshida-sensei told me what happened during the meeting with Kobayashi-sama today; do you realize what could've happened if you didn't take him seriously?"

I frowned. "Hachi wasn't there for the entire thing, Kagome-chan," I informed her, watching her brow crease at my solemn tone. "The Kumo conglomerate is some kind of Yakuza equivalent. They wanted insurance against their 'losses' or, more appropriately, victims. That's why I turned him down. There's no way I was advocating their business."

"Miroku-sensei," Kagome-chan seemed genuinely impressed with me, and she smiled in spite of herself. "Well done, Sensei. For the first time, you've made me eat my own words."

I smiled as well, though mine was a tad smugger. "Believe it or not, Kagome-chan, I do know what I'm doing."

Kagome-chan nodded in acquiescence. "Maybe that's true. But you still wouldn't make it through a day without my help."

"Of course not," I laughed, and we resumed our walk towards the building's entrance. "Why do you think you still have a job around here?"

Her reply was interrupted by a sudden, high-pitched beeping, and we paused, my hand frozen in the act of pushing one of the huge glass doors open. Then, just as abruptly as it started, the beeping stopped. I caught the beginnings of an explosion before the sound deafened me completely and an annoying ringing took over as my eardrums screamed in complaint. The glass of the door shattered underneath my hand, sending several shards deep into my fingers and palm as the force of the explosion forcibly threw Kagome-chan and I backwards. I landed on my back, my head hitting the marble floor painfully as I slid to a stop ten feet away from the entrance. I was too stunned to move, and for a moment all I did was lie on my back and stare wide-eyed up at the ceiling, trying to focus as orbs of white opalescence danced in my vision.

Finally, I rolled my head around, disoriented, and tried to focus as I looked for Kagome-chan. She was screaming and crying something, though my hearing was still too damaged to figure out exactly what she was saying. I looked around again, sluggishly trying to put the pieces together as numerous people surrounded us. At last, everything clicked and I closed my eyes in disbelief, moaning slightly as the shock melted away and the agonizing pain took over.

It was a bomb.

By the looks of it, it had been a rather small one, localized to go off the minute somebody walked out of the building's entrance. Not just anybody, I realized as I remembered that Ayame-san had passed through that same door just moments before I'd opened it. Whoever planted the bomb, they were after me.

It appeared that Kagome-chan and I were the only ones directly affected by the small explosion, as the doorman had dove out of the way just in time. He was yelling something now as well, and I was able to make out the garbled sound of "police" and "hurry."

"Kagome-chan," I mumbled, my voice sounding very muffled and far-away in my own ears. I tried rolling over to get to her, but my body screamed in protest and I collapsed into the marble floor. "Kagome-chan," I called to her regardless of my immobility, "Are you alright?"

"Miroku-sensei," she wept, her hands cradling her head. Her voice was too high an octave for me to distinguish just yet, and I had to rely on lip-reading to determine what she was saying. "What's going on, Miroku-sensei?"

"I don't know," I said, my voice still sounding distorted and distant. I closed my eyes again, suddenly feeling feverish and very tired. "I… I don't know…"

I caught the muddled sound of police sirens, and through the orbs still clouding my vision, I was able to make out several more people rush into the building, running to Kagome-chan's and my aid. More people were saying my name, but I found it very hard to stay focused, and soon the orbs faded into black as my vision gave way completely, and I succumbed to my fever, slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

**AN: **Um... I'm not actually sure that there's anything for me to clarify/translate in this chapter. Until next time, then!


	4. Chapter Three: August 9th-11th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Chapter Three: August 9****th****-11****th**

The week following the miniature bomb episode was complete hell. Kagome-chan and I sustained rather minor injuries, though even a week later, she still supported a brace on her wrist while I still had nine stitches from a rather nasty cut up the length of my index finger. Talking to the police immediately after the bomb went off was more or less painless, and despite my initial deduction that the bomb was meant to target me, I tried to maintain a sense of normalcy around the office.

The constant police presence, however, was a serious hindrance to my goal of retaining the routine.

In a way, I could see how the chief of police, Yamaguchi Sesshomaru would want to keep a constant eye on the building, since no leads or suspicious figures had come up during their ongoing investigation. Yet the imposing appearance of a police officer on every elevator and entrance was seriously impeding my business. Many of my most devoted clients were rather angry at their supervision, as the reason they had insurance policies in the first place was to avoid the police entirely. I did my best to placate, though I couldn't help but feel the same sort of resentment at the policemen as well.

Resentment or not, by Wednesday of that week it had become very clear that having the officers around here was actually for our benefit, as it had become evident that the localized bomb from last week was not to be an isolated incident. Thankfully, there weren't any more errant explosions, though anonymous threats and booby traps seemed to be springing up everywhere around the office. The victims seemed to be limited to Kagome-chan and I, a fact that baffled the police and further impeded their investigation. I was confused as well; I figured in my position, I'd make an obvious target, but Kagome-chan? No one outside of the company knew of our connection.

As a result of the uncertainty surrounding the whole matter, I was ordered to have a police officer in my office at all times, even during client meetings and appointments. This could've been a major infringement, if not for the fact that I'd been able to request Aoi Ayame-san's husband, Koga (who had a company connection through his wife and was the only man on the force I even indirectly knew) for the position. I was also required to keep an officer around me traveling to and from the building, and one was stationed just outside of my apartment complex, as was the same for Kagome-chan. The threats kept trickling in unhindered, however, and I was beginning to think that all of their effort was for naught. Instead of being on hand with bandages in case another razor blade showed up in our mail, shouldn't they be dedicating all of their effort to finding whoever this bastard or these bastards were?

I felt awkward riding in the elevator with the police officer, as he didn't go out of his way to say anything, and the invitation to start up a conversation on my end didn't seem too enticing. I was almost relieved to see Koga waiting as the doors pulled open on my floor. He was arrogant, but even a conversation about nothing other than himself would've been better than complete silence in my book.

I nodded to him. "Koga," I greeted mildly, mentally gearing up for another day of intimidating police officers and grumpy clientele.

"Good to see you're still alive and kicking, Tsujitani-san," he smirked. He fell into step with me as I made my way to my office. "Looks like another eventful day, huh?" he went on, nodding amusedly through the glass window of my office door.

I peered through the fogged and monogramed glass, a grin coming to my face as well as I made out Kagome-chan pacing in a small impatient circle inside my office. She'd apparently been waiting for me for some time, and I felt a little guilty about my late morning; Koharu-chan had taken to demanding more time from me after the bomb incident. She called it protectiveness, I called it smothering.

I tapped on the glass, eliciting a small jump from Kagome-chan as she started at my appearance. My grin widened as she scowled indignantly at me and I waved impishly before I opened the door to let Koga and myself in.

"Been waiting long?" I asked nonchalantly as I slung my briefcase on my desk, frowning as I noticed the long list of appointments Kagome-chan had laid out for me. This is what I get for not taking a sick day after nearly being exploded.

"Never mind that," Kagome-chan said insistently, barely giving Koga an acknowledging nod before running to me with her hands tucked up to her chin in earnest. "Something's come up; Yamaguchi-san called this morning!"

My brow furrowed. "Sesshomaru-san?" If he called, could that mean that there had been a major break in the case? "What did he say?" I looked to Koga, trying to figure out if he had any idea why the chief of police would call so unexpectedly. He only shook his head and locked the office door, a habit that was quickly becoming procedure.

I looked back down at Kagome-chan, who still glared up at me with the same earnest look on her face. "Well?" I urged, feeling a little impatient. "What did he say?"

Finally, she frowned, dropping her hands and digging her phone out of her purse. "Well, nothing really," she admitted. "He wants to see you, actually," she tapped at her phone a couple times, obviously going in search of something, "But, as you can see, you're completely booked until Friday."

"Kagome-chan!" If memory served, this could've been the first time in three years that I'd actually yelled at her. "It's the chief of police! I think we could've made an exception just this once!"

Kagome-chan stopped incessantly tapping at her phone's screen and looked up at me crossly. "Well excuse me!" she snapped unapologetically. "I would've squeezed him in if he didn't suggest taking your next available appointment himself!"

I frowned again. If Sesshomaru-san was willing to wait until Friday to speak with me, the information he had couldn't have been that important. Kagome-chan huffed irately and went back to tapping away at her phone, evidently finding what she was after as she shoved the screen in my face.

"I didn't have time to work it in to your official schedule," she said defensively. Her phone was much too close to my nose for me to distinguish anything, though she continued regardless. "You can pencil it in yourself. Yamaguchi-san expects you in his office this Friday at noon."

She pulled the phone back, and I was able to catch a glimpse of a calendar open on the screen before she turned it completely back to herself, locking the screen and stowing back into her purse. There was a knock at the door and Kagome-chan and I instinctively jumped as Koga went over to the door.

Placing his hand loosely on the knob, he called out warily, "Who is it?"

"Tsujitani-sensei?" The voice sounded a little frightened and unsure. "Is Kagome-san with you?"

Kagome-chan and I joined Koga at the door; Kagome-chan started lightly slapping Koga's arm impatiently.

"It's just Shippo-chan," she insisted, ushering him forward. "Let him in already!"

Koga grumbled something indistinguishable under his breath as he acquiesced. According to Kagome-chan's word, Shippo-kun hesitantly made his way into my office, pushing that same clunky mail cart ahead of him. He nodded at Koga and I in turn respectfully, then turned to Kagome-chan.

"There was a special delivery for you, from your little brother," he said, fishing a manila envelope from the shallow pile of yet-to-be-delivered mail.

Kagome-chan's brow furrowed, and she stretched her hand out for the envelope. "Sota? Why would he be writing me?"

Immediately prompted by her confusion, Koga's own hand shot out and snatched the envelope away before it could be transferred to Kagome-chan's hand. He surveyed the sealed flap intently, ignoring her indignant shout in protest.

"What do you think it is?" I questioned, feeling anxious and curious and perplexed all at once. Kagome-chan, I knew, was very close with her family. There was no reason her little brother would need to write her so unexpectedly, and there was no doubt we all shared the same feeling of suspicion.

"Not sure," Koga answered. He sniffed the sealing experimentally, apparently sniffing for drugs or some sort of chemical. Finally, he held his palm out to me expectantly. "Do you have a letter opener?"

Obediently, I went to my desk and dug around in one of the drawers until I found the item in question. I passed it over to Koga, and with Kagome-chan, Shippo-kun, and I peering over his shoulder, he painstakingly slid the blade of the letter opener under the sealed flap and slowly worked it open.

The envelope was empty except for a single piece of copying paper, and my stomach dropped upon seeing it. We stared at it for a while, a thin sliver of white disappearing into the manila envelope before Koga reached in and slid it out carefully. When I saw that it was blank, I almost vocalized in complaint, but I held my tongue in realization as Koga flipped the paper over.

_We're coming._

Shippo-kun was the first to recover.

"'We're coming?'" he read aloud. "What does that mean?"

"What do you think it means, Shippo-chan?" Kagome-chan's words were ridiculing, though her tone was far too watery and frightened for the bite to be delivered.

I took the paper from Koga as he cursed and shoved his hand in his pocket for his phone.

"I've gotta call the Chief," He looked at Kagome-chan. "Get the kid outta here, will ya?" he griped, nodding to Shippo-kun.

Kagome-chan took ahold of Shippo-kun's elbow to escort him out, and he allowed himself to be pulled from the room, still voicing his confusions by asking unanswered questions.

I remained rooted in place, staring at the simple threat typed across the center of the copying paper. Obviously this threat was meant to mean something more than the simple booby traps we'd been experiencing all week, though I was too numb to figure out exactly what it entailed.

_Risks must be eliminated._

I stiffened. Why had I thought that?

_I hope you'll realize you're making a mistake._

That's right. Hakudoshi-san had said it, last week during our appointment after he'd asked Hachi to leave the room. My numb feeling began to be edged with fear as I realized that I had neglected to tell Sesshomaru-san about my meeting with Hakudoshi-san. It was just another application that I had turned down; I didn't even think about it again until now.

I swallowed hard, a little surprised at the size of the lump that had formed in my throat. Friday couldn't come quickly enough.

* * *

Even though I told Koga about the appointment with Hakudoshi-san the day after my birthday, Sesshomaru-san still insisted waiting till our original meeting at noon on Friday to discuss my suspicions. The chief of police said he'd need the time to prepare, though he didn't offer an explanation beyond that.

As it was, I sat in the police station, bouncing my leg with a jittery idleness while Kagome-chan passed the time either texting or calling some friend or family member. I'd only informed Hachi of my meeting with Sesshomaru-san today; I'd left out the details concerning Hakudoshi-san. I still didn't fully understand why Kagome-chan had to accompany me here at all, as I had been alone in the room with Hakudoshi-san when he'd made his initial threat. Still, Sesshomaru-san had insisted, and there wasn't much room for me to wriggle her out of it.

Finally, the door separating the small lobby from the rest of the station opened and a woman, looking around my age, poked her head in.

"Tsujitani Miroku and Higurashi Kagome?" she asked, stepping fully into the room.

I nodded while Kagome-chan hurriedly locked her phone and held it to her chest protectively.

The woman smiled kindly. "I'm Saito Kikyo. I'm a psychiatrist that works with the police force." She angled her body between the open door and the lobby, an invitation for us into the main station. "If you'll just follow me, I'll show you to my office."

"Your office?" I couldn't help but complain. The past two days waiting for this meeting with Sesshomaru-san had damn near killed me. I wasn't too willing to talk with anybody else but him, especially not some therapist.

"Yes," Saito-san insisted genially. "It's custom for cases like these; for the victims to be able to talk freely without the pressure of dealing with an officer." She looked over her shoulder at me as she led us down a narrow hallway. "It'll only be a moment." She smiled that same kind smile.

I huffed impatiently and folded my arms as Saito-san directed us into a room on our right and showed us to our chairs. Kagome-chan and I sat in unison, both of us staring expectantly at the psychiatrist as silence began to stretch between the three of us.

Finally, Kagome-chan cleared her throat awkwardly. "Um, Saito-sensei," she began, only to be interrupted by Saito-san raising a patient hand.

"Please," she said, "Call me Kikyo. We'll get to know each other quite well, after all."

I couldn't help but be a little unnerved by Kikyo-san, though Kagome-chan continued on undaunted.

"Do you know why Yamaguchi-san has called me in here too?" she asked. She still hadn't stopped hugging her phone.

Kikyo-san nodded vaguely, "I think that should be left to him to answer. He'll call you in shortly; I just have a few questions for you first." She looked to me, sliding a file folder from the bottom of the stack of papers on her desk and placing it on top. Folding her hands, she asked, "How have you been holding up?"

I stared at her incredulously. "How do you think I've been holding up?" I responded shortly, my impatience quickly turning into anger.

Kikyo-san appeared unaffected by my rudeness and answered patiently, "I know things must've been hard for you recently, but you must understand: these are questions I'm required to ask."

I scoffed. "I'm sure."

Blinking once, Kikyo-san turned her unnerving, peaceful smile onto Kagome-chan. "What about you, Kagome-san? How have you been?"

"Alright." Kagome-chan seemed oddly compliant with everything. I missed my apathetic, cynical personal assistant from before. If that Kagome-chan were here, we wouldn't be wasting time with Kikyo-san.

Kagome-chan went on, "I mean, you know, it's been a little scary with the bomb and threats and all, but I've managed, I guess." She sighed heavily. "I'm just really tired."

Kikyo-san nodded understandingly. "That's good," she praised Kagome-chan gently, "It's good to just keep yourself focused in times like these."

I laughed bitterly, drawing a scowl from Kagome-chan. "Oh, come on!" I defended, throwing my hands into the air for emphasis. "This is ridiculous! Last week a bomb went off in the doorway to my building and I've got threats pouring in—" I cut an unimpressed glance back at Kikyo-san, "—and you want to know how we _feel_."

Another moment passed in a tense silence.

At last, Kikyo-san reached for her file folders and tapped them into order on her desk. She had that same peaceful, understanding look in her eye as she addressed me again. "Anger," she began, resting the newly-straightened file folders on her desk once more, "Is a secondary emotion, Miroku-san. People use it as a cover-up, to hide what they really feel." She tilted her head assumingly. "Do you understand, Miroku-san?"

I groaned and rolled my eyes, clutching my bangs and bringing my elbows to rest on my knees. "Are you shitting me?" I demanded of no one in particular.

"Miroku-san," Kikyo-san went on patiently, "Do you want to tell me what's really going on here?"

I sighed heavily before throwing myself back into my chair. I glared at Kikyo-san, ignoring Kagome-chan as she gave her own heavy sigh and massaged her temples, muttering something about my maturity level.

"Are you ready to talk now, Miroku-san?" Kikyo-san prompted, her hands once again folded on the thin pile of file folders on her desk.

"I'm ready to stop fucking around here," I spat adamantly, "Where's Sesshomaru-san?"

Kikyo-san pinched her eyes shut; I appeared to have finally cracked her seemingly never-ending flow of patience and understanding. She held the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger while she let out a long, slow breath.

"I'll get him," she finally said. "Come with me."

She headed to the door, signaling for us to follow. Kagome-chan and I stood; I moved to immediately trail after Kikyo-san, though Kagome-chan grabbed my elbow and held me in place.

"What?" I wasn't much in the mood to be held up any further. Kagome-chan was scowling at me, though she remained silent as she merely glared. "What?" I repeated emphatically.

She slapped me; her hand open and stiff as it collided painfully with my cheek.

"Ow!" I stepped back, cradling my bruised cheek. "What the hell was that for?"

"For being rude to Kikyo-sensei. She's just trying to help us; you could've been a little nicer to her."

"Well," I huffed, making sure to steer clear of another blow as we both made to follow Kikyo-san down the hall. "Forgive me for preferring Sesshomaru-san's help. You know, the guy who's actually going to catch whosever after me and not talk to me about how I feel."

Kagome-chan rolled her eyes, though any biting remark she had would have to wait as Kikyo-san stopped ahead of us, showing us into another office—Sesshomaru-san's.

"He'll be with you in just a moment," she said in parting. She'd almost shut the door when she suddenly popped her head back in the room. "And Miroku-san? We'll talk more soon."

I made a noise of disappointment and complaint as I sat heavily in one of the chairs facing Sesshomaru-san's currently unmanned desk. Kagome-chan took the seat next to me, smirking to herself and looking obviously pleased.

"What are you so happy about?" I demanded.

Her mirth immediately died. "Nothing. Let's just hope Yamaguchi-san gets here soon. I want to go home."

As if on cue, the door to his office opened and Sesshomaru-san stepped in. He was a rather intimidating looking, very tall with premature grayish-white hair. His eyes were almost always thinned and full of indifference, and he carried himself with a subtle, but still present, air of superiority.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he apologized flatly. "I wanted you to have some time to become acquainted with Kikyo." He eyed me strangely. "I see you've made quite an impression."

"Why have me see a psychiatrist?" I jumped in defensively. "Having a bomb go off in your building is stressful, but I'm not a complete nutcase yet. Give me some time to work on it."

Sesshomaru-san didn't seem amused. "Indeed. I think you'll find, Tsujitani, that seeing Kikyo will eventually be to your benefit. It'll do you better to be more cooperative in the future."

"Told you," Kagome-chan muttered smartly from beside me.

I frowned and sunk lower into my chair. Why did everyone have to be against me?

"However," Sesshomaru-san went on, "That's not the point. I have a very pressing matter to address with you today." He paused, loosely intertwining his fingers and resting his elbows on his desk.

I waited. "Yes?" I urged pointedly.

"It seems," he continued after a tense moment of studying us with those blank and narrowed eyes, "That your case, in light of the recent evidence you've brought forth, has taken an unfortunate turn."

"Unfortunate?" Kagome-chan asked, her voice slightly shrill. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that this is turning out to be a greater danger to the two of you than I initially thought. We'll have to enact some means of protection." He turned back to me, his face unchanging as he said. "As of today, we're putting you both under protective custody."

I started dumbly at him, unsure if I had really heard what I thought I did. Protective custody? What did that mean? I cut a sidelong glance to Kagome-chan; she looked ready to hyperventilate.

"Why the both of us?" I heard myself ask. I was still reeling with unasked questions and wasn't too aware of myself still participating in the conversation.

"With the recent threat delivered to Higurashi specifically on Wednesday, we have reason to believe that the Kumo conglomerate, if that's really who's behind this, knows of the connection between the two of you," Sesshomaru-san explained.

"How?" I demanded. "Kagome-chan wasn't in the room when I interviewed Hakudoshi-san; she doesn't know what happened—"

"Yes I do," Kagome-chan interrupted, her voice small but insistent. "You told me yourself, remember Miroku-sensei? In the lobby, right before the bomb went off."

I floundered for reasoning, for an excuse. "B-but how are they supposed to know…?"

Sesshomaru-san raised a definitive eyebrow at me. "You both will be placed in protective custody," he repeated, shuffling around some papers on his desk, looking too bored to be dealing with our triviality. "Until we are able to catch whoever is behind this, the two of you will be placed in a secret location, to be kept under constant supervision by an assigned detective. Nobody but a select few will know where you are," he eyed Kagome-chan's phone with disdain as she subconsciously tightened her grip around it, "And there will be absolutely no contact with the outside world."

I returned to staring dumbly at the chief of police. I couldn't believe this was happening. Give me therapy; make me talk to Kikyo-san, anything but this. This was unreal… this was… there had to be some mistake.

"Are you sure?" I finally asked lamely. I winced a little as my voice cracked. You're losing it, Miroku.

Sesshomaru-san didn't answer, only stood from his desk and crossed his office to the door. He leaned outside for a moment, calling for somebody to be sent to him immediately.

He turned back to Kagome-chan and I, looking completely unapologetic as he said, "This is for the best, I assure you."

That did it. I was gone. I didn't absorb any more of what he was saying, staring mutely at my shoes as he went over the plan for the rest of the night. I didn't care to know what he was saying. It didn't matter. My life was over. Everything I'd worked for; my job, my company, my clients. Hell, I even worried about Koharu-chan. What was I going to tell her? What was I allowed to tell her? And what about Hachi? There was no way he was going to be able to keep the business running without me there. I could feel myself slip into that numb place again when there was a sharp rapping on the door.

Without waiting, the knocker flung the door open carelessly, leaning against the door frame as he surveyed Kagome-chan and I with genuine, if somewhat annoyed, interest.

This man was almost the spitting image of Sesshomaru-san, if only that he looked several years younger and his hair was still black. He didn't wear the typical uniform of a detective, and was instead clad in baggy jeans and an oversized red jacket.

"So," the man said, folding his arms haughtily, "You're the lucky ones, eh?" He jabbed a thumb at his chest. "For the next little while, I'll be in charge of you, got it? And you better listen to me if you want to live." Smirking, he thrust his hand under my nose, open and ready for me to shake it. "The name's Inuyasha."


	5. Chapter Four: August 11th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. I do, however, own Hachi's wife Minako-san.**

**Chapter Four: August 11****th**

I stared at my closet, unmoving and unable to manage a cohesive train of thought. I could feel as Koga's frustration and impatience with me grew tangible, but I still couldn't bring myself to pack. We were running out of the time allotted to us by Sesshomaru-san to prepare. I didn't move a muscle.

Sesshomaru-san still hadn't told us where we'd be staying during our protective custody; his only instruction was to pack as much as we could in as little time as possible. Aoi Koga was stuck watching over me as I tried to follow orders, with Inuyasha over at Kagome-chan's while she did the same. In all fairness, it was rather difficult to pack when I didn't know what to pack for, and doing anything while still sluggishly trapped in my state of mental numbness was proving to be quite a feat on its own.

I heard Koga begin to grumble something under his breath. "You gotta get a move on, Tsujitani-san," he called to me irritably. "We've got to get you out of here."

"I know," I answered, my voice dry and scratchy from underuse. I hadn't had much to say since Sesshomaru-san informed me of the protective custody. Kagome-chan, however, was a different story. She was on a continual roll, her questions and demands coming one right after the other: in Sesshomaru-san's office, on the drive back to her apartment; she most likely was still giving Inuyasha an earful. She wanted to know every aspect of the chief of police's decision, though I didn't have much to ask about. They were sending Kagome-chan and I away, for an unknown amount of time to be constantly babysat by Sesshomaru-san's younger brother, with no contact to family or friends. What else was there to know about?

I stiffly reached for a T-shirt from my closet shelf. At least I knew enough that all of my suits and ties were probably not needed, wherever I was headed. After the initial move, blindly grabbing clothes and shoving them into the open suitcase on my bed was surprisingly easy. I made sure to pack plenty of the essentials, though judging from Koga's raised eyebrow as I threw socks and boxer shorts into the suitcase, I might've been overdoing it.

I grabbed a few books to keep me busy (though without my phone and laptop I wasn't quite sure how I was going to make it), and after packing a few essentials from the bathroom, I was ready. Looking to Koga, I shrugged lamely, showing him my packed suitcase. He nodded approvingly, and I followed his quick glance to the clock on the wall of my bedroom. After all of that stalling, I still managed to pack in just over five minutes.

Koga made a quick phone call, grabbing my suitcase for me and leaving it at the ready by the front door while I stood in the kitchen uselessly, my hands in my pockets. I took a quick moment to say goodbye to my very expensive, optimally located, rent-controlled apartment. Who knew when I would see this place again?

Koga cursed into his phone and I wandered out into the living room to join him, my curiosity piqued.

"How much longer is she going to take?" he complained, pinching his eyes shut and kneading his temple with his thumb. There was a pause as he waited for the other line—I could only guess it was Inuyasha—to answer. "What do you mean you don't know?" he shouted after a moment.

I chuckled to myself as I made my way back into my bedroom. Apparently, Kagome-chan had been unable to make up for as much lost time as I had in packing. I sat on the edge of my bed, my head down and my eyes focused on my folded hands. We were down to the wire now. I gave my dresser, with its drawers mostly empty and half-opened a miserable look. I only had until Kagome-chan was finally ready, then I really would be leaving this place until God only knew when.

I sighed heavily, throwing myself backwards onto the mattress. Something on the nightstand caught the corner of my eye and I spied my phone, unpacked and sitting there silently as if it had already endured a month of no use. I glanced nervously back down the hallway, straining my ears to hear Koga's activity. By the sound of his irritated voice, he was still arguing with Inuyasha on the phone.

Looking back at my phone, I gulped. I only had this one last opportunity to call somebody before I was officially off the map. Making a split-second decision, I reached for my phone, scrolled through my recent calls and found Hachi's number.

"Hello?" It was a female voice, though not unknown to me.

"Minako-san?" I asked in a hushed voice, immediately identifying the voice of the answerer as Hachi's wife.

"Yes." She sounded confused. "Did you need something Miroku-sama?"

I was confused as well. It was early enough in the afternoon that Hachi should've still been at work. So why was Minako-san answering his cell phone?

"Is Hachi with you?"

"No, he's still at work," she verified. "He left his phone at home; are you not in the building?"

"No," I answered in kind. My stomach fell a little at not being able to reach Hachi. He was my oldest and only true friend; I felt I owed him a little more of an explanation than I'd left him with before my meeting with Sesshomaru-san earlier today.

"You have his work number don't you?" Minako-san was asking. "I can give it to you again, if you'd like."

"That's okay," I denied, giving the clock on the wall a quick glance. From the sound of things, Koga was wrapping up his own phone call. I wouldn't have time to make a second one anyway. "Listen, can you give him a message for me, though?"

Minako-san was instantly alerted. "Is something wrong, Miroku-sama?"

I hesitated. There was no clean way to answer that question, even with as simple as it was. "N-no," I finally stammered, then sighed. "Just tell him to look out for himself, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed, though by her tone I could hear that she wasn't satisfied with my answer.

"I'm going to be out of town for a while, and I won't have my phone," I continued, hurriedly trying to get out all that I felt needed to be said. "I just wanted to make sure that he'll be alright."

"Okay," Minako-san repeated, sounding much more unsettled. "I-I'm sure we'll be fine, Miroku-sama." There was a short pause, and then she asked, "Will you be alright?"

I smiled in spite of myself. Minako-san was the best woman, and she was perfect for Hachi. She always treated me like the son they never had.

"I'll be fine," I assured her quietly. "I've got to go though, Minako-san. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"You too," she responded earnestly. "I'll see you later, Miroku-sama."

I hung up quickly, barely managing to put my phone back in its place on the nightstand as Koga came around the corner. There was something about the way Minako-san had bid farewell on the phone that suddenly made me feel much better. It wasn't a goodbye; it was a "see you later." The inconclusiveness and certainty of the statement seemed to be just the pick-me-up I needed. This wasn't going to be permanent.

"Hey," Koga alerted me from the doorway, and I suddenly realized he was accompanied. I was briefly stymied; I hadn't heard a knock or the intercom buzz. "You have a visitor."

"Koharu-chan," I greeted with mild surprise. I had risen to meet her, but the force of her embrace knocked us both back onto the bed.

"You have five minutes," Koga informed me. "Kagome-san's ready; we've got to get this show on the road."

Koharu-chan scowled back at Koga as he left us alone. "Oh, Miroku," she whined, turning back to me, "Do you really have to go on this business trip now?"

I raised an eyebrow. So that was the excuse they were giving for my sudden absence.

"Uh, yeah," I fumbled, scratching the back of my head. "I do. It's—it's very important." I was baffled at my lack of composure. Did I actually feel bad about lying to her?

She huffed. "Well, how long will you be gone?"

"I'm not sure."

Making a small cry of protest, Koharu-chan buried her face in my shirt. "We're supposed to get married in a month, though. Will you be back in time for that?"

I balked. Was our wedding really that soon? How had I managed to block that rather important detail out until now? "I'm not sure," I repeated, wincing slightly as I elicited another indignant and shrill cry.

"C-can I at l-least c-come see y-you?" she wept, her voice halted by watery hiccups.

"No," I said, feeling lower than dirt. Sure, it takes a bomb and being forced to live under police protection for me to actually start caring about Koharu-chan. "Listen, I'll be back as soon as I can," I promised vaguely.

This did little to console her, her sobs growing in volume as Koga came back from the living room to retrieve her.

"Time's up," he said. "Let's get a move on."

"Honestly," Koharu-chan cried bitterly as I helped her to her feet. She wiped her nose daintily. "Of all times for you to be sent away for business… What about the police? Are they just going to follow you?"

Koga answered for me. "Yep." His answer was brazen. "So you don't have to worry about him, Nanako-san." He looked to me. "Ready?"

I nodded, turning back to Koharu-can. "I've got to go," I informed her as gently as I could. "I'll see you when I see you, yeah?" I tried to smile encouragingly.

She threw her arms around my neck and clung to me tightly. "Will you still marry me when you get back?" she asked pitifully.

I hesitated; I couldn't help it. I may have had some sort of newly developed fondness for her, but I was almost certain that had formed due to my sudden, unwanted leave. Our upcoming wedding still didn't fill me with any sort of excitement or anticipation.

"Yeah," I told her, cursing myself inwardly as I spoke. I walked her to the door, not having much of a choice as she held my arm in a vice-like grip. "It'll be fine," I said positively as she stepped into the hall.

Koharu-chan nodded sadly. "I love you, Miroku."

"I know," I said awkwardly in return. We kissed, and I did my level best to make sure she controlled herself while in front of Koga. He shut the door almost immediately after we parted, and I looked at him, startled. Weren't we supposed to be on our way out as well?

He was eyeing me with a strange look, giving me a smirk that was decidedly unpleasant. "You didn't say it back."

I bristled. "Say what back?"

"You didn't say you loved her."

I scoffed, grabbing my suitcase and pushing passed him to get to the door. "What do you care?" I demanded lowly.

"Hey," Koga defended himself, putting his hands up in submission. "I'm only saying. I mean, you are engaged to her after all."

I studied him for a moment, stalling before we boarded the elevator. "Are you trying to rub your perfect marriage with Ayame-san in my face?"

His smirk widened malevolently. "Not at all," he swore unconvincingly.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Let's just hurry to Kagome-chan's. I want to get this over with."

* * *

We'd been on the road for hours. I'd been the gentlemen and relinquished the passenger seat to Kagome-chan, though I now regretted this. I felt shut out of the conversation in the back, and was forced to entertain myself for a great portion of the ride. However, as time wore on, it became very apparent that Inuyasha and Kagome-chan's conversation was one that I did not want partake in.

At first, I'd chalked up her nervousness to the fact that we had no idea where we were going to be living for the next while and the fact that there were people out there that obviously wanted us dead. Then I began to realize that she wasn't actually nervous at all. All of the shy looks, self-consciously tucking her hair behind her ear, making sure to touch her hand to his arm exactly the right number of times and for just the right length of time; I'd seen the same tricks pulled by too many women to not know what was going on in the front seat. Kagome-chan was flirting with Inuyasha, and expertly at that.

In all honesty, I had to admit to myself that I was jealous. If I'd known that Kagome-chan was this good a flirt, I would've tried much harder at wooing her, and I certainly wouldn't have given up so easily. How could she be so scary with me and be so shamelessly affectionate with Inuyasha? Is it even possible to contain all that in one person?

I tried to think back on all of the relationships of Kagome-chan's that I'd known about. Stymied, I only came up with one: a former employee named Hojo-kun. This, however, led me nowhere as I remembered that while she handled him more kindly than me, she still turned him down flat. There had been a rumor that was the reason why he'd quit, something about being too embarrassed to continue working with the girl who'd rejected him. This had led me to believe that Kagome-chan was just extremely picky, though she'd apparently decided she already found what she was looking for in Inuyasha.

I scoffed mutely to myself as I watched her little game unfold up front. Stupid, lucky bastard.

Finally, Kagome-chan sighed genuinely. "How much longer, Inuyasha? We've been driving for hours."

"We're almost there," Inuyasha responded gruffly. "Maybe another twenty miles or so."

I glanced out the tinted windows doubtfully. We were in the middle of nowhere. It looked highly unlikely that we'd come across a town within the next twenty miles. Images of a horrible, creaking shack standing alone in a barren, black wasteland came to mind and I swallowed heavily. Sesshomaru-san wouldn't do that to us, would he?

The next few miles passed in silence and I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding as the first signs of civilization started to appear. It was scant, but at least we weren't going to be completely alone. Then I remembered that both Sesshomaru-san and Inuyasha had vehemently stated that we were not going to be allowed to leave the safe house freely, and I frowned. What good was civilization if I couldn't even enjoy it? I found myself wondering if we might as well have been banished to that creaking abandoned shack from my imagination.

Suddenly, Inuyasha turned off the main highway (if a two-lane street with only one stoplight could be called a highway) and began driving along a thin, one-lane dirt road. The already small town completely melted away as he pushed forward, the headlights of the car the only thing lighting our way.

We continued a little further, until finally the shape of a small cabin was illuminated by the headlights. Not a shack, but not exactly what I'd call homey either. In terms of a safe house, it seemed altogether pitiful. Inuyasha slowed the car to a stop right alongside the cabin and took the keys out of the ignition.

"Welcome home," he said sardonically, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car. He went around to the trunk to retrieve our suitcases, while still inside the car, Kagome-chan and I exchanged uneasy looks.

Finally, I shrugged and followed after Inuyasha, lagging behind as I waited for Kagome-chan. She caught up with us, clutching her purse in a death grip as she surveyed the cabin anxiously.

"Okay," I heard her mutter to herself. "Everything's going to be okay."

Inuyasha dug around in his pocket momentarily before producing a single key on a ring. Before he turned the key in the lock however, he paused. Curious, I leaned around his shoulder to see what he was doing. There was a ten-digit keypad located just below the doorknob, something that I hadn't noticed before. I tried to spy as he punched in the code, but his shoulder blocked too much of my view.

Pushing the door open, Inuyasha stood aside to let Kagome-chan and I enter the cabin first. Kagome-chan stepped in ahead of me, and I heard a sharp gasp as I followed suit.

"Oh my…"

"Kagome-chan?" I asked, "What's wrong?"

I followed her gaze, my mouth falling open dumbly as I looked around the cabin. If I thought the cabin made a lackluster safe house, it was only because I hadn't seen the inside yet. From floor to ceiling the walls were lined with thick metal plates, bolted securely around the frames. The floor itself was actually concrete, with a shaggy rug tossed lazily in the front room. All the windows had been boarded up, with the only light source being the flickering florescent lights that appeared to be all throughout the cabin. The furnishings were limited to the bare minimum, and everything looked to be untouched for quite some time.

"Well," Inuyasha said, folding his arms and plopping down on the sagging couch. "Whattaya think? Feel safe yet?"

He was trying to mess with us, though Kagome-chan and I were still too busy staring around the front room and attached kitchen with awe. Finally I looked back at Inuyasha, shaking my head in disbelief. I couldn't believe a place like this actually existed.

"Yeah," I muttered, dropping my suitcase at my feet. "I think I feel safe."


	6. Chapter Five: August 14th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Chapter Five: August 14****th**

"So, I hold my hand up like this?"

"It's got to be stiffer. Your hand's going to take some of the blow too, it's gotta be ready for it."

"No, okay, okay, I got it…"

I sighed and rolled my eyes as Kagome-chan threw her whole body into the punch, her small fist colliding painlessly with Inuyasha's open palm as she spun around and fell backwards into his arms.

Inuyasha laughed mockingly as he pushed her back to her feet. "If you're going to put that much force into it, try to channel it into the punch. Otherwise, you're just going to knock yourself over again."

Kagome-chan blushed prettily and nodded, straightening herself back up and resuming the fighting posture Inuyasha had taught her moments before. "Okay. I got this. Show me again, Inuyasha."

This is what my life had been like for the past three days since arriving at the safe house. With nothing else to do, I'd resigned myself to sitting on the couch in the front room and watching as Kagome-chan rolled out every trick in the book to try and get Inuyasha to pay attention to her. It wasn't all bad though; I'd been able to devise a sort of game out of watching the two of them. Whenever Kagome-chan unveiled a new trick, I awarded her ten points. Those points would be slowly docked one by one until Inuyasha caught on. If he responded appropriately, ten points for the each of them. Each time Inuyasha lead her on unprovoked, he got twenty points. His rewards were generally higher since I discovered he had kind of a thick skull when it came to romance.

Yeah, I was pathetic.

I stood up from the couch and stretched, awkwardly announcing my departure from the room. I was ignored, as Kagome-chan had so conveniently fallen into Inuyasha's arms again from an overly-energetic punch.

Inuyasha laughed at her again, never tiring of teasing her for her apparent clumsiness. I shook my head in bemusement. It was very interesting to see the lengths that Kagome-chan would go to get his attention. Had I not known how persnickety she could be when it came to the opposite sex, I might've mistaken her behavior for being desperate.

But no, Kagome-chan was never desperate, and if being flirtatious to an overbearing degree was the only way to get those same gears moving in Inuyasha's head, then I knew she was going to ride that strategy to hell and back to get it to work.

She held onto Inuyasha's shoulders tightly, using him to steady her balance long after she'd found her feet. "Sorry," she said softly, coyly avoiding his gaze, "I guess I messed up again."

Ah. Using false embarrassment to edge him into giving her a blind complement. Risky, but it just might work. Another ten points.

"Yeah you did," Inuyasha snorted. "I'm beginning to think that fighting's not really your thing, klutz."

Poor Kagome-chan. One point docked.

Her hands still hadn't left his shoulders, even after she'd stopped using him to lean against. "Maybe not," she agreed genially. Finally, those big brown eyes of hers slid to meet his, unabashed. "Thanks for having the patience to try and teach me, though."

Point-blank sincerity. My, but she was a risk taker. Ten points again.

Almost subconsciously, Inuyasha's hands moved to hold onto her as well, hovering around her ribcage. "We'll try again later. You look pretty tired; we should give it a rest for now." It wasn't exactly endearing, but I was quickly learning to read his genuine moments.

Well done, Inuyasha; twenty points.

Apparently, Kagome-chan had detected his hidden candidness as well as she smiled up at him, almost approvingly. "I'd like that," she admitted girlishly. She went on to say something else, but I interrupted her as I cleared my throat.

"Hey," I said from my post in the transition point from front room to kitchen. "I'm going to make some dinner. You guys want something?"

At the mention of food, Inuyasha turned at looked at me with interest. "What're you making?" he demanded.

Kagome-chan burned with anger as she scowled at me for interrupting them, though I ignored her as I walked further into the kitchen.

"Well let's see," I mused with fake thoughtfulness. The police officers in charge of stocking our kitchen with food were not the best grocery shoppers. Our food supply was pitifully limited. I opened the cupboard with no surprise. "Looks like ramen's the winner. Again."

Inuyasha shrugged, unbothered. He leaned against the countertop's bar. "I'll have roast chicken flavor," he said, watching me passively as I dutifully prepared our dinner.

With all three of us having instant ramen, dinner was ready in less than ten minutes. I set the three Styrofoam cups on the small circular table, momentarily wondering when I had become everybody's maid.

"_Itadakimasu_," Kagome-chan muttered reverently before reaching for her chopsticks and pulling the paper lid the rest of the way off her cup. We ate in silence, only broken by the occasional slurp as we sucked the long noodles into our mouths. I was grateful for this short reprieve, as Kagome-chan's affectionate campaign with Inuyasha was beginning to wear on me.

There was a sudden, loud noise sounding off from Inuyasha's pocket and Kagome-chan jumped while I scowled in bitter jealousy. It was his phone. The fact that Inuyasha was allowed to keep his phone on him and use it while in the safe house bothered me more than perhaps it should have. There was a smaller chance of him leaking confidential information to the outside world, apparently. Even so, his phone only went off with the occasional text message alert, as Inuyasha would restrict actual calls to members on the force who knew of our location, and even then he would use his radio.

Inuyasha leaned back in his chair to fish his phone from his pocket. He glanced at it briefly, then smirked quietly to himself as he read his message.

"Who is it that always texts you?" Kagome-chan finally inquired, asking the question that both of us wondered every time he looked at his phone like that.

Inuyasha finished reading the message and typed his response before he answered Kagome-chan. "My niece," he said shortly.

Kagome-chan and I exchanged a look of surprise. The fact that Inuyasha had a niece wasn't nearly as shocking as the realization that Sesshomaru-san had a kid. I grimaced, unable to help myself. Him having a daughter meant someone had to have slept with him, possibly even be married to him. The fact hit me as strange and slightly unbelievable.

Kagome-chan recovered first. "What's her name?" she probed of Inuyasha.

Again his answer was short. "Rin." He looked up at us briefly, as if trying to determine whether or not we were worthy to receive more information. He eventually continued, "She's in middle school."

"Oh!" Kagome-chan showed a heightened interest. "So is my younger brother! What school does she go to? What year is she in?"

"Edo Public," Inuyasha responded, looking a little perplexed at Kagome-chan's sudden interest. "She's a second year."

Kagome-chan nodded, her excitement still evident. "That's the same school that Sota, my brother, attends, though he's still a first year."

I frowned. Once again, I was left out of the conversation. I was an only child, with no nieces or siblings still attending middle school. I huffed indiscreetly. Even when they weren't flirting, I couldn't join the discussion. Was there nothing that the three of us could talk about that didn't involve trying to get into each other's pants or our similarly aged family members?

"Maybe Rin and Sota know each other?" Kagome-chan continued earnestly, and my frown deepened. Might as well just give up all hope now, Miroku.

I cleared my throat again, drawing both Inuyasha and Kagome-chan's attention as I stood up from the table, my empty ramen noodle cup in hand. "I'm kind of tired," I explained lamely. "I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight." Feeling slightly foolish under their blank stares, I hurriedly threw my cup away and traipsed off to my room, which thankfully was on the far side of the cabin.

I shut my door and leaned against it, desperately wishing they'd allowed me a lock. Still, I was more than happy to escape the kitchen, to get away from the perpetual flirtatiousness. I found myself missing Koharu-chan again, if only for her benefit as a woman.

Sighing, I pulled my shirt off over my head and tossed it uncaringly in the corner. I retrieved my suitcase from underneath my uncomfortable and small metal-framed bed and rested it on top of the thin mattress. I still hadn't taken the time to unpack yet; I felt a little reluctant at admitting to myself that I was going to be here for a while and therefore tried to make myself at home as little as possible.

I flipped it open, digging around for some pajama bottoms to replace my jeans when I paused. I suddenly felt like I was being watched. Paranoia dripped down my spine like ice as I mentally prepared myself to turn around to check. Moving quickly, I spun around, my eyes shifting wildly around the room until I at last focused on the door.

It was closed, just as I had left it. I tried to talk myself down from my fright, telling myself that I was just stressed and overly tired. Despite my pep talk, I was unable to rid myself of that creepy, persistent feeling that I was not alone in my room.

I laughed out loud, using the sound to further calm my nerves. "Get ahold of yourself, Miroku," I scolded quietly, pulling the elastic out of my shoulder length hair and rubbing my neck in self-comfort. "You're going to make yourself crazy going on like this."

"You know, people are going to think you're crazy regardless if you keep talking to yourself like that."

I froze, my mouth open in a silent shout of terror as I felt something cold and hard pressing up against the base of my skull. I didn't need to be told it was a gun.

There was somebody in my room after all, but how did they get in? I'd made sure that the door was firmly shut only moments ago. In my burning curiosity, I relaxed a little from my stiffened pose and made to turn around again to look at the door.

"Don't move!" they warned, and the stout barrel of the gun pressed harder into my skull. "Let's not be sneaky now, put your hands where I can see them."

I did as requested, throwing my hands up in surrender as my mind reeled over the past five minutes in a numb shock. My mouth opened and closed stupidly, trying to sort out some kind of sense in all this.

"How long have you been in here?" I finally asked, making sure to keep my voice quiet and submissive.

"Shut up!" the intruder demanded, jabbing the gun painfully into my neck as I moved again. "And don't even think about turning around."

In my catatonia, I was able to make out that the intruder's voice sounded strange, as if muffled by something. Were they wearing a mask? If so, did that mean that they feared being recognized? My suspicions that Hakudoshi-san was behind all of this sharpened some, but somehow that explanation didn't make enough sense.

The barrel of the gun was pushed against the base of my skull, almost aimed at my neck rather than my head. This gave me the impression that the intruder, whoever it was, was several inches shorter than I was, and had to stretch considerably to get the gun aimed that high on me at all. Again, my brief deduction that this could be Hakudoshi-san didn't match up with this description; Hakudoshi-san was my height, and could easily aim a gun directly at my head.

The voice of the intruder also still threw me for a loop. It was muffled, yes, and I was almost certain they were wearing a mask, but it also sounded like they were deepening it for some reason, as if they were trying to sound more menacing. I was dying to turn around to verify all of my conclusions, though no matter where the gun was pointing, I wasn't moving as long as it was aimed at me.

The intruder seemed to be pleased as I obediently stiffened again, my arms still held up in surrender.

"There," they mused to themselves, the smirk evident in their voice. "I think we'll be able to behave quite civilly now."

I pinched my eyes shut as I felt the gun drag through my hair, nudging the bottom of my earlobe as the intruder circled around me. They angled the gun; it was now jammed painfully up under my jaw. I swallowed hard, daring to open my eyes just a crack to view the assailant.

My eyes immediately flew wide open as I realized that the assailant was, in fact, a woman.

She had dark brown hair, pulled back on her head in a smart looking bun with straight-edged bangs that framed her round face perfectly. She did have on a mask, a ventilated, metal mask that covered everything from the bridge of her nose down. I was right about guessing her height too; she stood just under average, and she had to tilt her head up some to be able to look me fully in the eye.

I braved a quick scan down her body, marveling in what I saw. She was very voluptuous, though her prowess was not hindered by this; she looked highly capable of thoroughly kicking anyone's ass. Her clothes were almost entirely leather and skin-tight, and unbelievably, I found myself admiring her figure in them.

I really had cracked. I was ogling a woman who currently had a gun aimed at my jugular.

"I'm not going to kill you tonight," she revealed, and my eyes quickly flicked back up to meet hers. I found I was most captivated by her eyes; they were a golden brown that inexplicably looked almost magenta, accented by a similar pink color on her eyelids.

She was glaring at me, and while it was very easy to feel frightened under such a look, there was still something else in her eyes that drew me to them, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

I remembered her statement.

"You're not?" I dared to ask.

"No," she replied, and again I could hear the mischievous smirk in her voice. "You see, I'm going to have a little fun with you first."

Was it sick that I was slightly turned on by the wording of her sentence? Probably.

She removed the gun from my neck and walked towards the door nonchalantly. Placing her hand on the knob, she turned back to me. "I'll see you around, Tsujitani."

I swore she winked as she slipped through the door.

I remained rooted in place, staring stupefied at the door and almost wishing she'd come back in. Realizing what I just thought, I shook my head vigorously before bolting out of my room and down the hall.

I checked every nook and cranny of the back of the cabin, finding no trace of her. I looked towards the front of the cabin, where I could hear Inuyasha and Kagome-chan still talking in the front room. I shook my head again, this time in disbelief. There was no way she could've slipped passed them for her escape. Then I frowned. How had she gotten into the cabin in the first place? The only entrance I was aware of was the front door, which was locked at all times and guarded with a coded alarm.

I let out an impressed whistle as I slowly meandered back to my room. She must've been good. I almost wanted to leave my door open for her, in case she came back, though my small remaining shreds of sanity quickly decried this.

I moved in a sort of trance, my mind too occupied with the unexpected female intruder to fully care that I was climbing into bed with my jeans still on, or that I had left my suitcase still open on the mattress and had inadvertently kicked it to the floor, scattering all of my clothes. I stared at the ceiling for a while, still too pumped with nervous adrenaline to sleep. I replayed the events of the entire night in my head, starting with my pathetic game involving Inuyasha and Kagome-chan all the way up to the intruder's confident walk as she left me to stew in fear and wonder.

I remembered her eyes, my own sliding shut as I fought to determine what I had seen in them that had made them stand out to me. She looked angry, of course, though as a hired hit man, I supposed that was to be expected. There was confidence and poise, that much was certain, but it wasn't what had drawn my attention. I clutched my bangs in frustration as I willed myself to stay focused and figure out what I'd seen in her eyes before I gave up entirely and just concentrated on falling asleep.

Right before I surrendered completely to the night, it occurred to me; what I had seen in those deep, golden brown pools of pure emotion.

It was pain.

* * *

**AN: **"Itadakimasu," loosely translated, means "thank you for the meal."


	7. Chapter Six: August 30th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi**

**Chapter Six: August 30****th**

We'd been in protective custody for almost twenty days now. I still retained my hope that we'd be out within the next few of weeks, and I had still been living out of my suitcase rather than completely unpacking. All of my books I'd brought along for entertainment had been read, I'd lost interest completely in my invented personal game with Kagome-chan and Inuyasha as soon as it became apparent that the attraction was, in fact, highly mutual, and according to Sesshomaru-san himself, they hadn't made another break in the case sense we'd left. He reported no more attacks on my building or anybody in it, a fact that slightly calmed my fears for leaving Hachi behind in the dark. Koharu-chan, Sota, and Kagome-chan's mother and grandfather were also reported to be safe and unsuspicious.

While Kagome-chan and I had grown to feel safe to some extent living in the overly-fortified cabin, there was no quelling our trepidation to learn that Kumo, Hakudoshi-san or whoever was behind the threats on our life hadn't been caught.

This, of course, was in no way helped by the fact that I had neglected to tell Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san about my female intruder two weeks ago. I didn't know why I didn't want to tell anybody about her; with her threat about intending to have some "fun" with me, all the reasons were there for me to sound the alarm. And, while originally I had taken her line to mean something sexual, I'd come to the realization some time ago that in her profession, it could mean anything but.

Though two weeks had passed and I hadn't seen any sign of her. I became pensive and withdrawn, filling my days replaying our brief meeting in my head, or trying to perfect my memory of how she looked that night. It was somewhat distressing to learn that, due to my even briefer glimpse of her actual person, I had forgotten exactly what she looked like. I remembered bits and pieces, though not enough to put the actual picture together. I blamed this on the fact that she'd worn a mask, and therefore rendered me unable to register what her face looked like save for her eyes.

And those eyes were something I knew I couldn't easily forget. They haunted me, kept me up and night and made me stare passed everything I was looking at the next day. I couldn't believe that somebody could house that much emotion in just their eyes alone, but there was no denying what I'd seen.

So I invented a new game. A guessing game, where I tested myself to see how many plausible explanations there were for the pain I'd seen in her eyes that night. I carefully analyzed all the different reasons a person could feel so hurt and I invented scenarios to fill out those reasons. None of those scenarios, however, would hold for long, and I'd be forced to go back to the drawing board, continuing my game.

Inevitably, I began to wish I knew her more, knew her better.

Which was ridiculous, really, because who wants to be better acquainted with someone who's been sent to kill him?

Ridiculous or not, it didn't stop me from trying. It proved difficult to corner Inuyasha without Kagome-chan around, but eventually, I succeeded, finding him lounging on the small couch in the front room while Kagome-chan had left to shower for the night.

I cleared my throat, alerting him to my presence as I moved to sit on the couch next to him.

"What's up?" he asked, not looking up from his phone as he tapped away at the keypad. I figured he was texting his niece, Rin again.

"Not much," I hedged. I was still trying to figure out how best to approach the subject without admitting the presence of the intruder and a few moments passed in silence as I stewed over the matter.

Finally, Inuyasha seemed to sense my consternation. "Did you want something?" he prompted gruffly.

I looked at him for a second, my eyebrows raised in innocent surprise as I stalled further. "Uh," I stammered, "I guess I was just wondering if there was any news."

"News?"

"You know, from Sesshomaru-san. Have you heard anything?"

Inuyasha snorted impatiently. "Hey, Miroku, when I know something, you'll know something, got it?"

I nodded quickly. "No, I know. I was just wondering if you could expound a little for me."

He studied me warily, glaring as he tried to figure my ulterior motive. "Expound on what?" he finally demanded.

"Oh, come on," I responded expectantly, "You only tell us the necessary details. I want to know everything." When he still didn't look too inclined to share, I continued emphatically, "I do think I am entitled, since _I'm_ the one that everybody wants dead."

He paused for a moment more, still looking irritated and cautious.

"I want to know everything you know about Kumo," I pressed on insistently.

Huffing, Inuyasha settled back into the couch further, bringing his knee up and resting his wrist on it lazily. "Fine," he agreed tersely. He cut me a sidelong glance. "It's not much, though, so don't complain if I don't answer all of your questions."

I nodded again, leaning forward eagerly.

"It's a relatively small organization," Inuyasha began, "Maybe only five or six important figures." He looked at me out of the corner of his eye again. "The rest are lackeys."

I furrowed my brow. "So… what about Hakudoshi-san? Is he a figurehead or just a stooge?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "We don't know that much." He gave me a strange look. "It seems you've had the most interaction with any of the members." It seemed as though he now expected me to divulge what I knew. An eye for an eye, as it was.

Frowning, I sat back a little. I was stymied. Because of my appointment with Hakudoshi-san last month, was I suddenly expected to testify? It wasn't like I knew any more than they did; I was fairly certain that everything he'd told me that day, besides Kumo's motive, was a lie.

Still, Inuyasha was waiting.

"Hakudoshi-san told Hachi and I he was PR," I finally explained. "Like he was the public figure on account of his company or something." I waved my hand dismissively, stressing how weak his story sounded.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, looking disappointed and irritated with my explanation.

"Look, I know it sounds stupid," I said defensively. "But it's what he told me."

Shaking his head again, Inuyasha scoffed. "Nah," he disagreed roughly, "It sort of makes sense." He looked at me knowingly. "Public figures take the place of the actual boss."

I looked at him inquisitively. The actual boss… did they know who was in charge of the Kumo conglomerate?

"Ueno Naraku," Inuyasha revealed, lowering his leg and folding his arms. "It's only a name but that's all we have."

"Ueno," I repeated, testing the name in my mouth. "He's the head of Kumo?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Like I said, though, that's all we have. Naraku and the rest of those bastards at Kumo are very good at covering their tracks." He cracked his knuckles angrily.

I laughed bitterly. "They'd be better with me funding them."

He gave me a slightly startled look before he settled into the joke. "I'd say it's good you're on our side, then."

Kagome-chan entered the room then, wearing a fluffy purple robe and toweling her hair dry. She looked from me to Inuyasha curiously. "What did I miss?"

I shook my head and turned back to Inuyasha resolutely. "There's got to be something more," I insisted. He'd given me useful information, though I was still empty-handed when it came to the mysterious hit man—erm, woman.

Kagome-chan wriggled her way between Inuyasha and I on the couch, inadvertently inserting herself into the conversation. "Something more about what?" she asked brightly.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't know what to tell ya, Miroku," he said unapologetically, "We're still working on it."

"What are you guys talking about?" Kagome-chan demanded, her patience wearing thin.

I ignored her. "So, you guys don't have any idea about what Ueno's lackeys do? Are they really just employees or are they like some sort of trained assassins?"

Inuyasha gave me a weird look. "No, I don't know," he said, sounding bewildered. His demeanor suddenly changed and he looked at me accusatorily. "Do _you_ know?"

I backpedaled hastily. "No, no, I don't," I floundered, raising my hands up to prove my innocence. "I was just wondering. You know, based on what they did with the bomb and the threatening mail and all, I just thought they seemed like the type."

I was nervous that he wasn't going to buy my excuse, and for a little while, he still fed me that same criticizing look. Thankfully, Kagome-chan and her short patience saved my hide.

"What on earth are you guys talking about?" she interrupted insistently. "Who's this Ueno guy? Does he have assassins after us now?"

"No," I finally addressed her, sighing and settling back into the couch, feeling defeated. "Well, I dunno. Maybe."

Wide-eyed and horror-stricken, she turned to Inuyasha for further explanation. "What's going on here?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Nothing," Inuyasha assured her gruffly. I saw the corners of his mouth tilt upwards as he looked at Kagome-chan fondly, and I rolled my eyes. Not this again.

He continued, "Ueno Naraku is the head of the Kumo conglomerate, but there's not much more we know beyond that." He shot me an irritated look. "Miroku was just asking questions."

"Oh," Kagome-chan sighed in relief. "Okay." She turned to me, slapping my arm in a light reproach. "Dammit, Miroku-sensei, you scared me!"

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. I stretched and stood up from the couch. "Well, I guess I'll turn in for the night." I checked my watch, making sure the hour was appropriate enough to turn in. I shrugged repentantly at Inuyasha. "Sorry for bothering you."

He shook his head, almost vaguely, though remained silent as I made my way towards the back of the cabin. I walked slowly, my mind going over the information that Inuyasha had given me and trying to fit the intruder into the scheme somehow. Was she just a lackey or an important figure? If she was out doing the dirty work of removing Kagome-chan and I from the picture, it seemed much more likely that she was the servant, not the master.

"Hey!" I heard Inuyasha call me back into the front room and I traipsed in obediently.

"Yeah?"

"Did Hakudoshi say anything else at all about Kumo when you met with him?" Apparently, I sparked his interest. Kagome-chan was looking at me curiously as well, seemingly wanting to hear the answer herself.

I shook my head and shrugged again. "Nope." I tried thinking back to our appointment a month ago, struggling to remember exactly what was said. "He just told me about his company's 'policy' with assets and losses, then told me I was making a mistake when I turned him down."

Inuyasha frowned, but nodded, seeming to be satisfied enough with my answer.

I pointed back down the hallway and said, "I'm going to go now… Is there anything else you wanted to ask?"

Looking back at Kagome-chan, Inuyasha shook his head slowly. I was a little worried about how interested in the matter he now appeared to be. Maybe he was suspicious of me after all. I made a mental promise not to mention the brown-eyed assailant to him no matter what; for some odd reason, I felt unreasonably possessive about the whole thing.

"No," Inuyasha said, his tone sounding far less convinced than his word. He was still looking at Kagome-chan intently, as if trying to find some sort of verification in her face.

She seemed unaffected by his strange behavior. "Have a good night, Sensei," she called to me cheerfully.

I waved over my shoulder as I walked back down the hall towards my room. I muttered something in response, not paying them too much attention anymore as I continued to focus on my own problem at hand.

* * *

I had another restless night. Not that it was uncommon for me at this point or anything, but it was the first time I'd been kept up by nightmares. I was beginning to think that Inuyasha's information on the Kumo conglomerate he'd divulged earlier had corrupted my not-so-threatening view on the female intruder. Perhaps it was my own speculation that Ueno Naraku's lackeys were in fact highly trained assassins that had robbed me of the nostalgia of that night two weeks ago.

She really was coming to kill me, and if I was inclined to take her seriously (I rather was), she was going to take her time doing it.

About the fifth time I woke up that night, I realized it hadn't been from any nightmare. I had that same peculiar feeling that I was being watched, and my stomach immediately flew up into my throat. My breathing became shallower and I stayed completely still for a moment before I gathered a burst of courage to lean over and turn the lamp next to my bedside on.

The lamp's dim lighting cast awkward shadows around my room, and I strained my eyes to determine if there were any detectable solid shapes hiding within them. I felt my breathing slowly return to normal when I didn't see anything, and I was able to summon more courage to get out of bed and turn the overhead light on.

I all but leapt to the light switch on the far wall, spinning around quickly as my room was suddenly bathed in the sickly whitish glow of the florescent light. I frowned, not at all pleased to see an empty room before me. Feeling almost offended, I searched my room from top to bottom, looking through the small closet, behind the dresser and even under the bed. There wasn't a sign of anybody, and after checking and rechecking every nook and cranny, I finally gave up and turned both lights off. I climbed into bed, suddenly feeling very exhausted and looking forward to a very deep sleep.

* * *

I was the first one up the next morning, a rarity, but I figured that my mostly sleepless nights recently had already reprogrammed my brain into believing that I didn't need that much sleep after all. Stumbling into the bathroom, I blindly searched for the light switch with one had while I rubbed my heavy eyes until I saw red with the other.

I had to shut my eyes momentarily as the bathroom was bathed in an obnoxious light, blinking rapidly until I adjusted to the brightness. Moving to the toilet, I reached down to flip the toilet lid and seat up when something caught my eye. There was a post-it note hanging crookedly on the small cupboard mounted above the toilet. I looked around me amusedly; were Kagome-chan and Inuyasha already leaving love notes around the cabin for each other? I studied it closer as I emptied my aching bladder, and uneasiness exuded off me like sweat as I realized that this was not a love note—far from it, and it was meant for me.

The handwriting was small and cramped, yet there was no denying the femininity of it. It had been a risky move to leave me a note, since there was no way to confirm that I would be the first person up; it just happened to be coincidence that I was. If anything, it only validated the confidence of my female assailant if she was willing to leave me notes fully knowing the consequence if Kagome-chan or Inuyasha found it instead.

_You sleep with your mouth open._

And she was truly confident if she could write such an innocent sounding sentiment, still knowing that it would paralyze me with fear regardless.

I crumpled the note in my hand and hastily left the bathroom, throwing open the door to my room haphazardly. I nearly tore the place apart searching in vain for her; I knew she wasn't to be found. This was her game, not mine. I was merely her opponent, stuck in the same place until she finally took her finger off her piece.

Even when she finally did, no matter what move I made, I was still the loser.


	8. Chapter Seven: September 3rd

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi**

**Chapter Seven: September 3****rd**

She seemed to rather enjoy fucking with me.

In just the four days that had passed since she left that initial note, she'd planted several more, inexplicably knowing exactly where to place them to ensure I would be the first and only person to see them.

_Did you miss me?_

_You suck at hide-n-seek. You still haven't found me yet. _

If I thought I was losing it before, I was so far gone now I couldn't think straight. I still held firm to the promise I'd made myself not to inform Inuyasha or Kagome-chan of her now apparently frequent visits and they still remained in blissful ignorance while I sunk further into paranoia and insanity. And it certainly didn't help that I awoke yesterday morning with another note taped to the inside of my door:

_Tonight's the night, Tsujitani._

I stayed up late into the night, staring at my door apprehensively. The next thing I remember, I was waking up this morning, confused as to when I'd fallen asleep. And there was another damn note, a post-it stuck to my bare chest.

_Just kidding!_

I hated her. This was beyond fucking with me, this was torture. What was worse what's that I couldn't get her eyes out of my head; they taunted me endlessly, full of anger, confidence and pain and I just couldn't stop thinking about her. It was sick, the way I fixated on her. I was desperate for a distraction, but with Inuyasha and Kagome-chan quickly falling into their own little world, I was alone to stew in my torment.

Luckily, later today, I got a reprieve. It wasn't exactly what I'd hoped for, but I was determined to be thankful for anything at this point. Sesshomaru-san had sent Kikyo-san for a check up on Kagome-chan and I. I was a little surprised to see she'd been blindfolded for the ride over, though I quickly remembered Sesshomaru-san had wanted to keep the number of officers that knew our location as limited as possible. They kept the blindfold on until after the alarm code had been punched in, and as she entered the cabin she looked mildly irritated as the officers escorting her finally removed it from her eyes.

Quickly recovering, Kikyo-san smiled at Kagome-chan and I brightly. "It's been a while. How have you been?" She addressed us simultaneously.

"Fine," I responded mildly from my spot at the kitchen bar while Kagome-chan waved cheerfully from her spot next to Inuyasha on the couch.

"It hasn't been too bad, actually," she said coyly, her hand settling comfortably on Inuyasha's knee.

Kikyo-san got a very peculiar expression on her face, though it went unnoticed by anyone else but myself. "Good," she said, nodding enthusiastically. It almost seemed like she was trying to convince herself instead of consoling us. "That's really good. I'm glad to hear it."

I remained in the kitchen while Kikyo-san took a seat in the dumpy chair across from Kagome-chan and Inuyasha. She seemed to have a hard time looking either them, preferring to keep her head down towards her notes. I watched her curiously; there was something off in the way she handled their budding relationship. I almost wondered if she disliked Kagome-chan before I realized that her awkwardness was directed at Inuyasha.

I guess because I hadn't seen the two of them together before, I hadn't realized it: Kikyo-san had feelings for Inuyasha. By the looks of things, Inuyasha either wasn't interested or didn't realize for himself what she felt, though I was more inclined to believe the latter. It had taken Kagome-chan quite some time to get him to react to her at all, and she was persistent. Kikyo-san didn't exactly strike me as the stubborn type.

As it was, watching her struggle through a session with Kagome-chan was almost painful, and despite my reluctance towards the psychiatrist, I did feel bad for her. She was very careful to avoid Inuyasha's eye, though again, I didn't think anyone but me noticed. I wondered how long she'd harbored feelings for him; judging on the brief expressions of pain that would flicker across her face every time she couldn't avoid looking at the rather comfortable looking pair on the couch, it probably had been for a while now.

I kept quiet for most of the session, even though Kikyo-san and even Kagome-chan did their best to try and lure me into being talkative. Kikyo-san's own struggle to accept Inuyasha and Kagome-chan's relationship, however young it was, made me think about Koharu-chan, left behind in Tokyo. Whether or not Inuyasha knew of Kikyo-san's feelings, it was obvious that they were one-sided, similar to my own fiancée's feelings. I tried to justify; at least I cared for Koharu-chan, maybe not enough to want to marry her, but enough that I felt bad about my hesitations.

Remembering my fascination with the female intruder did not help matters any, especially when I realized that I was more attracted to her than I had ever been to Koharu-chan. I groaned inwardly and buried my face in my hands. Here I had a perfectly fine fiancée waiting for me at home and I'm having fantasies about a woman who's been sent to kill me. Not to mention the fact that I didn't even know what her face really looked like.

"Miroku-san?" I heard Kikyo-san question worriedly, and I raised my head to look at her unwillingly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I insisted tiredly. "Just stressed."

Kagome-chan nodded in agreement, looking bummed for the first time during our session. "I miss Tokyo, my family, my friends," she cut me a bittersweet look. "I even miss my job."

I chuckled. "Think of it this way, Kagome-chan: it's a vacation. I mean, when was the last time you took any time off?"

"Not since I started working for you," she snorted, but she laughed all the same. "A vacation," she repeated, settling back into the couch and resting her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. I didn't miss Kikyo-san hurried move to look down at her notepad. "I guess you do take vacations to get away from it all."

Kikyo-san nodded, her cheeks slightly red as she kept her gaze studiously lowered. "That reminds me," she said softly, flipping the paper of her notepad up to reveal five separate envelopes. She passed them out, two to me and three to Kagome-chan.

"Sesshomaru-san allowed these letters to be delivered to you," she explained, a small smile returning to her face as she watched Kagome-chan eagerly rip into her first envelope.

"It's from Sota!" Kagome-chan announced, her pleasant surprise causing tears to form at the corner of her eyes. She read a little into the letter, her smile growing wider and wider the further she went.

I looked down at my own envelopes, not even needing to open them to see who they were from. Judging by the way they were addressed to me, I could tell that they were from Hachi and Koharu-chan. I set them on the counter, not too eager to read them in front of everybody.

"Well," Kikyo-san said, getting to her feet. "I think that's all the time we have for today." As if on cue, there was a warning knock on the front door before it opened, revealing the same two officers who had accompanied her to the cabin. She frowned as they raised the blindfold silently. Turning back to Kagome-chan and I, she said, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Nodding, Kagome-chan went on reading her letters. I noticed that Inuyasha had his arm stretched out across the back of the couch, and as Kagome-chan settled back in next to him, his arm slid down from the couch to around her shoulders. Morbidly curious, I whipped my head around to see how Kikyo-san would take this, though the officers had already secured the blindfold around her eyes. As Kagome-chan excitedly showed Inuyasha her second letter and informed him it was from her grandfather, and as the corners of his mouth edged up into a small grin as he kissed her forehead, I suddenly wondered if it was better that Kikyo-san hadn't seen them. If she had a hard time accepting them just sitting next to each other on the couch, I couldn't imagine how she'd react to seeing this decidedly more affectionate display.

After making sure Kikyo-san was sufficiently blinded, the officers nodded once to Inuyasha and took their leave, unnecessarily slamming the door behind them.

"This last one's from my mother," Kagome-chan read aloud from her third and final letter, unperturbed by the officer's abrupt departure. She read a ways into the letter, her eyes fogging with tears all over again. "Oh, Inuyasha," she whispered sadly, "I miss them so much."

"I know," Inuyasha said, his normally rough voice sounding uncharacteristically gentle. I felt a little awkward from my seat in the kitchen. If they were going to continue much further down this path, I definitely did not want to be around to witness it.

I tried clearing my throat to dispel the atmosphere. "Hey, guys," I called over to them, "It's getting kind of late, maybe we should get some dinner or something?"

I was ignored. Kagome-chan set her letters aside as she leaned further into Inuyasha's embrace, his free hand coming up to settle on her thigh as she rested her leg across his. That was more than enough for me. I hightailed it out of the kitchen, hastily making an escape to my room. It was like they thought they were the only two in the room when they were together, a fact that made me hypocritically angry. Except for Koharu-chan, I had no qualms being overly romantic in front of others; if they were uncomfortable with it, that was their problem. Yet seeing Inuyasha and Kagome-chan together for some reason made me almost jealous, as if I wanted my own relationship to rub in their faces. I thought of my female assailant again.

* * *

I didn't get around to reading my letters until after my shower that night. I stayed holed up in the bathroom, straining my eyes to read the words through the steam still weighing down the air. Starting with Hachi's, I ripped a corner of the envelope off, sliding my finger through the edge and tearing the rest of open.

The letter looked relatively short, though still I felt a small grin cross my face. I felt especially grateful for Hachi's friendship right now; both of my parents died when I was pretty young, and without any siblings my family was limited to just me. I suppose that's why I was so fond of Hachi—he was there for me even when I was alone.

_Miroku-sama—_

_How have you been? Are you alright? The police refuse to tell me much, and anything they do say they swear me to secrecy. And while it hasn't been too hard to satisfy the demands of our most devoted clients, I have been having some trouble keeping Nanako-san happy. _

I winced. I had suspected that Koharu-chan would give Hachi some trouble; though I had hoped it wouldn't be too much.

_But please don't worry too much about the company, wherever you are. I'm doing my best to keep everything in order for your return. I hope you get this letter soon, and I hope you're able to write me back, though I understand if Yamaguchi-san doesn't approve. Take care of yourself, Miroku-sama, and please come home soon. _

_ —Hachi_

I smiled again and refolded the letter, carefully tucking back into the envelope for safe keeping. Reaching for Koharu-chan's letter, I hesitated before I slowly opened it as well. I was somewhat more reluctant to read hers, though my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to tough it out.

_My darling Miroku—_

_Why haven't you called me? It's been nearly a month and I haven't heard from you at all—not even a single text! You do know we're supposed to be married in ten days, don't you? _

Shit. This was going to be harder than I thought. I took a short break before letting myself continue on, only taking the letter in one bit at a time. For starters, I rather resented the way she started her letter in the first place; her address was nice enough, if a little clichéd, though she immediately started with her complaints. I would've thought she'd be a little more worried for me until I remembered that Koharu-chan's knowledge of current events was even more limited than Hachi's—she still thought I was on an extended business trip.

_I've tried talking to Hachi-san, though he only tells me that he doesn't know when you'll be home. Which I can't understand because he is your business partner and all, so why doesn't he know? I'm so confused, Miroku, and I just miss you so much—_

I couldn't bring myself to read any further. I don't know if it was leftover guilt from thinking about her earlier today or just general disappointment in her rather scathing letter to me. Out of passing interest, I flipped the page over, my eyes widening a bit to discover that she'd filled both sides of the paper entirely. I skimmed down the page, scoffing mutely upon reading her sign-off:

_—With all my love, Nanako (almost Tsujitani) Koharu._

Well that was a little weird. Remembering the hurt in Kikyo-san's eyes at seeing Inuyasha and Kagome-chan earlier today, I decided that, even if I was home just in the nick of time, I would not go through with the wedding, stockholders meeting be damned. Maybe it was horrible, but I knew I at least cared enough about Koharu-chan to not want to see that same look of depression and longing in her eye. And I really, _really_ did not want to marry her anyway. I was sure at least Hachi would understand.

I stood up from my seat on the toilet and threw Koharu-chan's letter away, self-consciously burying it the best I could in the trash to avoid suspicion and inquiry from either Kagome-chan or Inuyasha. I stowed Hachi's letter in my suitcase before cautiously wandering into the front room, wary of interrupting a make-out session or worse between my lovebird roommates. Upon finding the empty front room, I let out a sigh of relief before I frowned in confusion. If they weren't still out here, then where the hell were they? Did I miss them in the hallway or something? The cabin wasn't that big; surely I would've passed them between the bathroom located at the very back and the front room.

Shrugging it off, I ambled into the kitchen, randomly opening and closing cupboards until I found myself something quick and easy to make. Dinner was a little forlorn all by myself, though I found myself not particularly wanting to disturb Kagome-chan and Inuyasha, wherever they were and whatever they were doing.

I ate slowly, never minding the late hour and took a break from stewing over hard and difficult thoughts. It was a little after eleven when I finally made it back into my room, stretching and heading over to the bed to pull my suitcase out from under it. I got three feet into the room when I felt a slight, yet somehow forceful pinch on the back of my neck.

I saw black.


	9. Chapter Eight: September 3rd

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Chapter Eight: September 3****rd**

I was awake long before I was able to open my eyes. I felt stiff and cramped, though when I went to stretch out my limbs, my arms wouldn't give. Fighting to remain calm, I forced my mind to analyze my surroundings, all while working through my grogginess to open my eyes.

Eventually I was able to tell that I was sitting in a chair, my arms restrained behind me with what felt like a zip tie. The feel of the hard wood against my back led to realize that my shirt had been removed, though the rest of my clothing remained in place. I vaguely registered that my hair was still a little damp from my shower and was hanging loose on my shoulders, and I came to the conclusion that I hadn't been out for very long. Still, working my eyes open seemed almost impossible.

Opening them, however, did little to help me out as I quickly realized that there was a pillowcase thrown over my head. I tried lowering my head to shake it off, though it was hard to lean forward with my arms tied behind the chair. Finally I gave up. Having a very strong inkling just who would do this to me, I decided to risk speaking.

"Hello?"

The pillowcase was removed from my head, and verifying my suspicions, my female assassin stood before me, the hint of a smirk in her hypnotizing brown eyes.

"You're awake? Good, I was worried I was going to have all the fun while you were out." Was she purposefully trying to make everything she said to me sound sexual?

She still had the same mask on as before, and the same black leather pants and gray leather jacket. I sighed inwardly. She looked just as enticing as the last time I saw her.

She turned away from me and walked towards the dresser. I spotted a physician's bag sitting open on top of it, and I couldn't help a brief fantasy of "playing doctor" from crossing my mind. I shook my head and tried to stay focused on the fact that tonight was the night I most likely was going to die. Even with that in mind, I still wasn't afraid of her; I was almost glad to see her back, like I had missed her. Apparently, I was very forgiving of her recent torment of me.

As if reading my mind, she called over her shoulder, "Did you like my notes? I have to say, it was a welcome challenge trying to place them in just the perfect spot."

I didn't respond, instead fixating on her hands as they reached up behind her head, going for the tie that secured her mask. Was she really going to take it off? I supposed it didn't matter if I'd be able to recognize her after tonight, since she was going to off me and all. When her hands moved back in front of her and out of my view, I couldn't quite tell what she was doing, though as they traveled down her front slowly, I realized that she was unzipping her leather jacket. My eyes widened.

Holy shit. It was like she was giving me a strip-tease. This was more than likely untrue—she was probably just settling in for a long night of torture and killing, though it still caused my blood to rush to a place that really shouldn't be fed in a situation like this.

"What're you going to do to me?" I heard myself ask, wincing as I realized I sounded more anticipative than nervous.

"Oh," she mused casually, digging around enthusiastically in her bag. She still hadn't turned around to face me since taking off her mask. I was dying of curiosity. "A little bit of this, a little bit of that, you know…" she trailed off as she finally faced me.

I stared, open-mouthed and unashamed. She was absolutely beautiful. Her eyes, of course, were captivating, but I already knew that. But it was something else altogether to see the picture completed. Her nose was small and pointed, her mouth almost pouting and her lips were the same pink color as her eye shadow. My eyes traveled down, lured by the strip of pale skin showing that was once hidden by the high neck of her jacket. She was wearing a pink cotton shirt underneath, as tight-fitting as her leather apparel, though the lower half of her midriff was exposed. I found myself mystified by the little dimple of the half of her navel that I could see before I finally trailed my eyes back up to her face. I failed in my admittedly pitiful effort to avoid staring at her ample chest for too long.

She hadn't seemed to notice my rather obvious gawking, and continued her almost forgotten sentence from before: "The usual."

I had no idea what was entailed by "the usual," though in light of everything that she had unwittingly revealed to me, I found I didn't particularly care. It was slightly disturbing to admit to myself that I'd let this beautiful woman do anything she wanted to me, though. Great. Now I had the beginnings of an inappropriate arousal _and_ a death wish. I was suddenly beginning to understand why Kagome-chan called me a pervert all those times.

Seeing as how I was certifiably insane by now anyway, it didn't seem like too much of a risk trying to strike up a conversation with her. "What's your name?"

She promptly shook her head. "Too soon. Ask me later."

I was bemused. So, she would tell me after all, I just had to wait. "Okay," I agreed slowly. I noticed she held something in her hand. "What's that?"

"This?" She unfolded her palm to better show me. "It's just a syringe. Simple, you can buy it at a drug store for pretty cheap." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing special."

She opened a compartment on her belt, and for the first time I noticed just how decked out her belt was. That thing could make Batman jealous. Withdrawing a small vial, she held it up for me to see. It was half-full of a purplish liquid, and the bottle had several small black lines to show proper dosage amounts.

"This, however," she dangled the vial in front of my nose tauntingly, "Is special. It's a particularly potent toxin—but, it's not lethal. She grinned malevolently, then brought the vial up to her own face, studying it thoughtfully. "And you know, it's naturally colorless and odorless, the purple's just an artificial dye. Makes it pretty."

I nodded, as if genuinely interested in her methods of torment. "But it's not lethal?" I asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. "I thought you were sent to kill me."

"Oh, I was," she assured me quickly. "But like I said, I wanted to have a little fun. You see, this toxin here is new. I've never used it before. I'm told the symptoms include nausea, lethargy, dehydration, excruciating muscle pain and migraine headaches." She flicked it into the air and caught it deftly. "Well, we'll just see, won't we?"

I gulped, momentarily brought down from my depraved cloud nine. I didn't have a very high tolerance for pain. With the promise of agony, I relentlessly trudged forward with our conversation.

"You work for Kumo." I meant it as a question, though it came out sounding more like a statement.

"That I do," she said airily. "It's not bad, you know. Of course, it would've been better if you funded us, but then I'd be out of a job now, wouldn't I?"

I surprised her—and myself—with a laugh. Maybe it was that I could tell she was lying that caused it to be so funny to me. She frowned, before turning away from me to dig in her bag once more. She produced a thermos, unscrewed the lid and tossed the vial of toxin inside. Upon my puzzled look, she gave the thermos a small shake, letting me know it was full of ice.

"It's supposed to prolong the effects if it's administered cold," she explained dryly, her behavior much more terse with me since I'd laughed at her.

I nodded again, and silence fell between us. I thought back on what she said about working at Kumo. The pain that was evident in her eyes had grown when she spoke, which is what had alerted me to her dishonesty in the first place. I could only gather that she hated Kumo, though this only gave me more questions. I wondered how much I could eke out of her tonight.

"Do you report to Hakudoshi-san or Ueno Naraku?" I asked innocently.

She frowned, not amused by the path our conversation had taken. Inexplicably though, she answered. "Naraku. Haku is nothing more than a wannabe."

I figured Haku was a nickname for Hakudoshi-san. "So, were you behind the bomb in my building and all of those threats?"

"No," she scoffed, crinkling her nose in obvious disgust. "That was Haku. Don't insult me by lumping me in with that barbarian."

I sniggered. I gathered she didn't have the highest opinion of Hakudoshi-san. "Why did Naraku send you then, if Hakudoshi-san started it?"

She smiled, a spiteful smirk that once again didn't reach her eyes. "Because I'm the best at what I do. Naraku's not sparing any effort to get you taken down."

I shrugged understandingly. Then something occurred to me. "Wait, you must know Kagome-chan is here too; are you going after her tonight as well?" I was afraid for my personal assistant's life, and my heart clenched painfully as I realized I'd probably long ago forfeited my chance to save her by keeping my female intruder's initial visit a secret.

Something strange flicked across the intruder's face and she turned away from me again, digging around halfheartedly in her bag. "I can't," she finally said, sounding a little too defensive. She didn't turn around to face me as she spoke. "She's with that cop all the time. It's going to take some skill to get her alone."

"Well, it is after midnight," I informed her stupidly. "She's probably alone right now." What the hell was I saying? If by some grace of God I made it through the night, I vowed never to tell Kagome-chan that I'd almost left her for dead.

My assailant whipped around to look at me, an incredulous look on her face. "Are you kidding me? She and that cop have been going at it like rabbits since ten! How do you think I've been able to sneak in here so easily these past few nights?"

I hung my head in acquiescence, though that still didn't explain how she'd been able to sneak in here all those times with the one-key lock and alarm system in place. Then what she said hit me fully and I balked a little.

"Wait—Kagome-chan and Inuyasha are sleeping together?" My voice had risen some with disbelief and I grimaced at the volume. I don't know why this struck me as unbelievable; I figured some part of me must have known what was going on, though it was still a little shocking to hear it verified.

"Duh," she asserted mockingly. When I still looked surprised she scoffed. "Oh, come on! You live with them; it had to have been obvious!"

Again, I had to acquiesce. I remembered my earlier initiative to figure out why she hated Kumo and tried to delicately steer the conversation away from the awkward conversation of Kagome-chan and Inuyasha's sleeping habits and back to more important matters.

"If you hate working at Kumo, why do you stay?" Okay, maybe not so delicate.

She seemed surprised at the sudden reversion in conversation and at the question in general, though she quickly composed herself and shot me a dirty look.

"I don't hate it," she insisted vehemently. "I never said that."

"Oh," I was backpedaling. "Well, I just assumed, because you don't seem to completely enjoy it either." I groaned inwardly. I was sorely tempted to give up all hope and just beg her to kill me now.

Again, she seemed taken aback, though this time she was unable to restore herself so quickly. Finally, she glared at me coldly, even a little apprehensively, and again, I was lost in the emotion housed in her eyes.

"I'm going to give you a little piece of advice, and tell you to shut the hell up right now. You have no idea the mess you've made by going against Kumo, and you have no idea who you're dealing with right now." She straightened herself up, trying to make herself imposing, but I was still obsessing over her passion. "I've been in the game for nine years."

I blinked back to reality. Nine years? But she looked so young. I studied her face quickly again; she didn't look much older than Kagome-chan's twenty-three years, but even then that would still put her at just a kid when she started. I wondered how a teenaged girl could get caught up in an organization like Kumo, and the guesses made me sympathize with her even more.

She checked her watch, then moved back to the dresser to retrieve the thermos. She tipped the whole thing upside down, carelessly dumping the melting ice all over the floor as she caught the chilled vial in her open palm. Retrieving her syringe, she carefully stuck the needle through the sealed opening of the small bottle, slowly pulling the pump on the syringe backwards until she deemed the amount of the purple toxin sufficient.

She approached me swiftly, taking ahold of my hair and tipping my head back violently. I made a pained noise of protest.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, my breathing hitching as I felt her place two gloved fingers on my neck.

"Shut up." She applied a slight pressure behind her fingers, methodically moving them up and down in a small, predetermined area near my pulse point. "I'm trying to find a good enough vein. Trust me; you don't want this stuff injected into an artery, and it's harder to find a smaller vein when you talk."

I was stymied. If she was going to inject me with a toxin whose sole purpose was to cause me pain, why was she trying to save me from more agony by avoiding the artery? She leaned her head in closely, and curiously, I angled my own head, trying to get a better look at her while still allowing her sufficient room to search for a vein.

Again, I was distracted by her looks, even more so when she was so close to me, and unsurprisingly, this caused me to stick my foot in my mouth for the umpteenth time tonight.

"Thanks for not wearing the mask," I said, straining to get a good look at her eyes as she studied my neck.

She pulled back a little. "What?"

I relaxed my kinked neck, grateful that she'd withdrawn some so I could study her face in full again. "Your mask. It covered a lot of your face. It must be uncomfortable." My tone was remarkably candid.

She huffed, standing up fully and tapping the syringe expertly, ridding the toxin inside of any errant air bubbles. "I gotta say, Tsujitani," she mused coolly, "You're surprisingly calm in the face of your eventual death."

I grinned slightly, as if we were joking instead of actually discussing the events that were undoubtedly going to happen in the very near future. "Thank you," I said modestly. She gave me a weird look upon hearing me express gratitude. I continued, "Though, I must admit, it isn't out of any sort of bravery."

Putting her hand on her hip and shifting her weight onto one shapely leg, she studied me for a moment. She held the syringe up at an angle and away from my neck uselessly, though her thumb remained at the ready on the pump. "Really?" she asked, sounding mildly interested. "And what do you mean by that?" By her tone, it sounded as if she was legitimately fooling around with me now.

"Nothing bad," I assured her smoothly, feeling far more courageous and playful than a man in my position should be. "I mean, you're very pretty." Gorgeous, sexy even. I really want to do you.

She looked thoroughly caught off-guard and she tensed involuntarily, causing a small squirt of the toxin to be sprayed negligently into the air. Silence fell heavily between us and I never let my eyes stray from hers, studying her attentively. I had a strong desire to shower her with more compliments, if only to draw the same appealing fluster from her, though I held my tongue. I had to see what she would say first.

Finally, she stepped towards me again, her hand fisting in my hair again as she forced my head back. My heart sank as she quickly found a suitable vein; though this was probably do to her ignoring my praise rather than the far more appropriate reaction to getting pumped full of an unknown toxin. I felt the slight prick of the needle bite into my skin and I winced, calling out for her to stop once more.

"Wait!" Thankfully, she halted, though with a considerable air of impatience this time around. "Can I ask your name now?" I pressed. I tried to get a good look at her again.

She hesitated briefly, looking a little perplexed at how to answer before she shoved the needle of the syringe all the way into my neck without warning. I cursed in pain.

"Mizushima," she finally said, her voice surprisingly soft. I momentarily regretted only receiving a last name until I saw the muscles in her forearm flex slightly as she pushed the pump down steadily, and another stream of curse words flew from my mouth as an immediate burning seeped out from the injection sight.

"I thought you said that cooling it would slow down the effects!" I seethed, clenching my teeth as I fought the instantaneous urge to vomit.

Mizushima didn't answer, pulling back and walking back to her bag on the dresser. She seemed hesitant to turn around to face me again, and I was left to sit in agony as the toxin wreaked havoc through my veins. I was groaning in pain and gagging uncontrollably with dry heaves, and my fleeting hatred towards this woman came screaming back.

Abruptly, she spun around to look at my door, and in my anguish it took me a moment to register that a sliver of light was shining through the crack between the door and concrete floor. Inuyasha and Kagome-chan were still awake!

Mizushima looked back at me, a threatening panic evident in her eye. She hastily grabbed her bag and dove for the small closet, which conveniently for her was located next to the door. Before she slipped in she addressed me.

"If you tell anyone I'm in here, I'll kill all three of you now." Her hand ghosted over a small pistol strapped to her thigh. She seemed to sense my desire to call out to whoever was hopefully in the hallway.

"Fuck!" I spat, defeated. I knew even if she didn't threaten me, I still wouldn't tell Kagome-chan or Inuyasha about her, though I did need help. Mizushima disappeared into the shadow of the closet and I finally called out desperately.

"Hey!" My voice was weak with pain, and it took me a moment to gather the strength to call louder. "_Hey!_"

"Miroku-sensei?" Kagome-chan called hesitantly through my door. I'd never been so grateful to her voice in my life. "Miroku-sensei, are you alright?"

"Kagome-chan!" I was losing the strength to shout through the door as the promised lethargy starting taking its toll. "Kagome-chan… Inuyasha…"

I heard Kagome-chan step away from the door momentarily, and I bowed my head as the pain started edging me into delirium. My head began to pound.

My door was thrown open and both Inuyasha and Kagome-chan ran into the room, rushing to my side. Kagome-chan let out a horrified gasp upon seeing me tied up in the chair, and I vaguely wondered if this toxin had a physical side effect that Mizushima had neglected to tell me about.

Remembering that she was still in the closet, my eyes darted back to her hiding spot, my heart clenching as I caught sight of her heel as she slipped undetected out of my room. She made it out. Even through my current hatred of her, I felt relieved at her successful escape. I let my eyes roll up into my head as the back of my skull continued to throb obnoxiously.

"Where is he, Miroku?" I heard Inuyasha demand angrily, and I willed myself to raise my head once more. He was tearing apart my room, cursing as each corner kept turning up empty. "Where is he?" He ran out of the room, supposedly checking the rest of the cabin thoroughly.

Even through my suffering I smirked to myself. She's not a he, I informed him mentally.

"I'm going to get some scissors," Kagome-chan announced, and I realized that she'd been tugging at the zip tie still restraining my arms behind the chair. Holding my cheek comfortingly, she said, "I'll be right back." She hurriedly disappeared from the room.

Inuyasha returned, seeming far less sympathetic of my current state. He got in my face. "Who did this to you, Miroku? Who was in here?"

"I don't know," I answered lamely, then I shook my head, wincing as the action made the room spin. I changed my answer. "Kumo."

"Kumo?" Inuyasha repeated roughly. "Who from Kumo? Was it Hakudoshi?"

I shook my head again, sending the room into a tornado of unsteadiness as Kagome-chan reappeared in the doorway with scissors in hand. "I… I don't know who it was. They said they worked for Kumo."

There, Mizushima, I spat viciously in my head, I vouched for you. Are you happy now?

I felt the cold metal of the scissors' dull blades against my hands as Kagome-chan snipped the zip tie in two and I immediately collapsed to the floor. She followed after me, putting a hand to my forehead and rubbing my back with the other.

"What did they do to him, Inuyasha?" She asked, looking up at her newfound lover with worry.

Inuyasha shook his head, crouching down to continue his interrogation. Fuck this stubborn dick.

"You gotta give me answers, Miroku. I have to be able to protect your sorry ass."

I gagged again, my body heaving painfully with the motion. Yes, my ass was indeed sorry.

He persisted. "Who was here, Miroku? What did they do to you?" I was becoming angrier and angrier with his demanding impatience.

I shook my head for a third time, dry heaving again and struggling to support myself on my hands and knees as my muscles began to twitch irritably. I retched again, losing control on my vomit reflex and spilling bile and stomach acid onto the floor.


	10. Chapter Nine: September 5th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Chapter Nine: September 5****th**

If I ever saw Mizushima again, I had to make sure I informed her of the potency and effectiveness of her toxin. Even after a full day of recovering, I was still reaping the consequences and was begrudgingly resigned to my bedroom while Inuyasha and Kagome-chan tried to figure out an antidote. And while I still was angry at her for poisoning me, I once again proved to be bizarrely forgiving when it came to Mizushima. Case and point: I still hadn't revealed her true identity to either Inuyasha or Kagome-chan.

Having had an actual conversation with Mizushima and having caught her in the middle of her lie had sent my already furiously working curiosity into hyper-drive. There was no denying that she was lying about not hating Kumo, of that I was pretty damn sure, though there still remained the question of why. I was beginning to wish that I had asked more about Kumo's head, Ueno Naraku to help me figure out an answer. Maybe she hated her boss. Maybe he conned her into working for him, or maybe she just hated her job altogether. I wondered if she'd ever give me another chance to have such a full conversation with her again. She probably blamed her almost being caught on my talkativeness.

Mostly, however, I focused on her face after I'd told her she was pretty. The fact that she'd injected me with this toxin from hell right after kind of made the moment a bit bittersweet, but there was something charming in the way she'd reacted. There was a definite blush, surprise and annoyance; though I could have sworn I also detected a subtle hint of flattery. This subtle hint wasted no time in going to my head, and I entertained myself while confined to my sickbed with fantasies of her succumbing to my irresistible magnetism. I looked forward to the next time we met.

Yeah, I was aware that I was letting things get out of control. I was also aware of how little a fuck I gave.

There was a knock at my door and I jumped, startled from my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I called tiredly. I was becoming a little fed up with Inuyasha and Kagome-chan's attempts at a miracle cure. Dread filled me at the thought of what they'd cooked up next.

Inuyasha opened the door widely, and I was surprised to see Kikyo-san next to him. But she was just here two days ago. Would Sesshomaru-san really send her back that quickly?

"Emergency visit," Inuyasha clarified gruffly, answering my silent question. "Seems your little visit the other night's got Sesshomaru's panties in a twist."

Kikyo-san smiled to herself and nodded over in my direction, greeting me modestly. "We did hear about your little run-in. I wanted to come as soon as I could to see how you're dealing." For some reason, as mild and concerned as her words were, it still sounded a little condescending to me.

"Yeah, well," I huffed, sinking lower into the mattress and pulling the sheets up to my chin childishly, "As you can see, I'm dealing with it just fine."

Kikyo-san nodded again and turned to Inuyasha. "I'll take it from here, now. Thank you."

Inuyasha scoffed roughly and grabbed the door knob, yanking the door shut behind him as he left. I was still frowning at Kikyo-san, though I was reminded of her pain at the realization of Inuyasha and Kagome-chan's relationship and tried to be as genial as I could. She stayed in her spot by the door, smiling at me understandingly and not making a move to make herself more comfortable until invited to do so.

"You can sit on the bed, if you want," I finally muttered, pulling myself up so I was sitting and giving her a spot to sit on the foot of the mattress. Her smile widened some and she took the invitation gratefully.

She relaxed her back against the metal frame as she turned around in her spot to face me better. She studied me for a while, making me squirm a bit under her gaze. "So," she said finally. "I understand you had quite the encounter the other night."

"You've said that twice now," I informed her dully, squinting one of my eyes shut in a vain attempt to ward off yet another wave of migraine headaches. Those and the lethargy seemed to be the longest lasting symptoms of the toxin. "And yeah, it was quite the doozy. Have you come to tell them how to fix me?"

Kikyo-san shook her head apologetically. "No, no nothing like that. I'm sorry." She balanced her notepad on her knees, bracing it upright with outstretched arms. "I was hoping you'd want to talk about what happened though."

It was my turn to study her. I wasn't particularly inclined to share much, if only because I wasn't sure just how much I could share without spilling the beans entirely and ridding myself of Mizushima. She was still watching me patiently and I struggled to think fast, trying to come up with something to humor her with.

"I'm supposed to get married next week." Oh shit, that wasn't humor, that was a legitimate concern. Ah well, I guessed I could use some advice. I stared at her uneasily; almost afraid of what she was going to say.

Kikyo-san seemed perplexed at first, though her enduring smile prevailed. "Yes, I've heard. Nanako Koharu-san, am I right?"

I nodded, feeling lower than dirt as the name of my over-eager fiancé regurgitated its way back into my conscience. I'd conveniently forgotten about her during my daydreams with Mizushima.

Thankfully, Kikyo-san continued, as if feeding off my evident clue that I didn't want to elaborate more on the subject myself. "She seems a little young, if I may say," she hedged, glancing down at her notepad. I briefly wondered if she had a complete file of my entire life clipped to it. "How old is she?"

"Twenty-three?" I guessed sluggishly, then shook my head. "Twenty-four. I remember now, she's a year older than Kagome-chan."

Kikyo-san nodded. "That's not too bad," she murmured, and I supposed she was referring to the age difference between Koharu-chan and I. I suspected the faintest hint of criticism to her voice and my frown deepened momentarily. Again, I waited for her to speak first.

"I suppose she's taking it hard, then? You being away, I mean." She looked at me with pure inquisitiveness and I reluctantly forgave her judgmental statement from before.

"Yeah," I sighed heavily, tipping my head back and staring at my ceiling. I winced as I continued, "Though that's not the worst of it."

I couldn't see if any befuddlement had crossed Kikyo-san's features with my head leaning back, though I could definitely hear it in her voice. "The worst of it? What do you mean, Miroku-san?"

I winced again, slowly tipping my head forward and meeting her questioning gaze hesitantly. "I don't want to get married."

"Oh!" Immediately, her features brightened with clarity and I was momentarily confused and offended. "This is good!" she declared decisively. "This is very good. Let's work from this." She produced a pen from behind her ear and flipped through her notepad until she reached a blank page. Her excitement at finally getting me to talk was almost comical.

With her pen at the ready, Kikyo-san gave me a look anew with determination. "Why don't you want to get married, Miroku-san?"

I shrugged, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Still, it did seem to be doing the trick of keeping her distracted from my encounter with Mizushima. "I dunno. I think it's more that… I don't want to marry Koharu-chan."

She scribbled something on her notepad, nodding earnestly. "Why not?" she pressed further in high interest.

Again, I shrugged. "I don't love her. Sometimes, I don't even think I like her."

Kikyo-san stopped scribbling and looked at me sharply. She appeared to be thoroughly taken aback. "What?"

Her reaction caused me to instinctively backpedal. "Well, I'm sure I like her some, you know. I was dating her. I just… There was a meeting at work, and politics and appearances got involved, and they told me I had to get married, and fast." I waved my hands in desperate emphasis. "And I was dating Koharu-chan at the time, so it was easiest just to ask her…"

I gave up trying to explain myself as Kikyo-san's expression continued to darken as my excuses ranked up in number. I didn't know what it was about women; it didn't take that much for them to hate each other, but the camaraderie within the sex was both astounding and nonsensical. There went my attempt at bonding with my police-assigned psychiatrist. It seemed the harder I tried to get along with her, the more I completely unimpressed her.

"I was planning on breaking it off," I finally insisted defensively. "Just so you know. As soon as I got back, I was going to set her straight."

Kikyo-san's eyes narrowed with scrutiny. "Were you? And just how were you going to go about this?" Her questions didn't sound so professional anymore, rather, they stemmed from her gender-driven protectiveness.

There was a moment of tense, awkward silence as I mulled this over. I hadn't thought about it, actually. I knew that I wanted to call the wedding and relationship off; I just hadn't gone about how I was going to do it. Now that I thought about it, I realized that it was probably important that I do so.

I looked at Kikyo-san sheepishly. "I dunno. Will you help me?"

She actually looked offended. "Really? You want my help?" Cutting a quick glance back down to her notes, she looked back at me, her eyes narrowed again. "What makes you think I'll do it?"

This new reluctant behavior of hers made me less enthusiastic about my current goal of befriending her. Before I could stop myself, I fired my own jab at her. "How long have you been in love with Inuyasha?"

Kikyo-san did a double-take, her cheeks inflaming in an indignant blush. "Excuse me?"

Well there was no backing down now. "Oh, come on," I trudged forward in exasperation, before I paused momentarily. "Well, it may not be obvious, but there's no getting passed these eyes." I pointed a finger at my face while wriggling my eyebrows convincingly. Kikyo-san huffed.

There was another moment of slightly uncomfortable silence before I acquiesced, leaning back into my pillow and folding my hands behind my head. "You don't have to tell me," I told her flatly, "I just wanted you off my back about Koharu-chan."

Kikyo-san halted some more before she shook her head, waving her hand dismissively and ducking her head in some measure of embarrassment. "No, no. I was out of line. It wasn't my business to get so involved."

"I wouldn't call that involved," I said, shrugging a shoulder carelessly. "But I could use your help."

She nodded, still a little ashamed. Opening and closing her mouth, she seemed to struggle to put her thoughts into words, a rarity for her. "I definitely don't think it should wait until you get back to Tokyo," she finally said thoughtfully, sending me a shy, yet joking smile. "I mean, who knows how long that'll take."

I frowned, despite her efforts to joke and lowered my hands from behind my head, folding them in front of my chest instead. "Well, there's not much I can do, is there?" I asked testily. "With no communication allowed, it's just going to have to wait."

Kikyo-san looked at odds with herself, as if she were debating over something internally. "Well," she hedged after a moment, "I suppose you could write a letter."

I remembered the letters Kagome-chan and I had received that Sesshomaru-san had reluctantly allowed to be sent. Hachi's letter was currently kept safe pressed between the pages of one of the books I'd brought. Any replies that Kagome-chan and I would've hoped to have made had been strictly denied, though, and I had trouble grasping what Kikyo-san meant for a moment.

She continued, "It would have to be vague; you couldn't make any mention of where you are or what you're doing, and I would have to deliver it for you. That way we have a slimmer chance of Sesshomaru-san finding out about it."

My eyebrows creased. "A letter? You want me to break up with my fiancée over a letter? What is that, like a step above a text?"

Kikyo-san huffed in offense. "Well I never said it was ideal, but it seems to be our only option at this point." She sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead with her index finger and thumb. "Did you want my help or not?"

I stewed over this for a moment. Honestly, writing a letter was better than I had made it sound. I didn't exactly fancy the idea of breaking up with Koharu-chan face-to-face, though the aspect of eventually having to talk with her if I did send her a letter didn't strike me as appealing either. Kikyo-san was looking at me expectantly.

"Do you have a piece of paper I could use?" I muttered at last, holding my hand out as she promptly flipped to a new page on her notepad and passed it over along with her pen. I paused indefinitely, the pen poised to write, though nothing came to mind. Kikyo-san apparently wanted me to try and sort out the actual letter on my own, yet I couldn't keep my mind focused.

"Think about it, Miroku-san," she urged quietly. "What do you want to say to her? Maybe if you could just think about her and your relationship for a while, the words will come."

It sounded solid enough. I tried picturing Koharu-chan, but her face kept morphing into Mizushima's. Well that was new. I may have had an infatuation with Mizushima, but I had always been able to keep her separate from Koharu-chan, up until now. I glanced back up at Kikyo-san, who still fed me that same expectant, yet patient look.

"I can't," I finally admitted lamely.

Her brow furrowed. "You can't what?"

"I can't picture her face. It keeps… changing."

"What do you mean, changing? Like, turning into another person?"

I nodded.

"Do you know this person?" Although confused, Kikyo-san still did her upmost to keep her questions direct and tolerant.

I started to nod again, though midway through I changed it to shaking my head. Kikyo-san started at me in bemusement, trying to decide which gesture she believed. Nervousness percolated in my stomach; I was getting as close as I had ever come to revealing anything about Mizushima. If I really did want to protect her identity, I would have to tread very carefully from here on out. I shook my head again more emphatically.

Kikyo-san's eyebrows pulled together in the middle and she tipped her head back to scrutinize me. "So, you don't know them?"

I shrugged my shoulders quickly, making the movement look almost like a spasm. "Nope."

"Why did you start to nod, then?"

I winced. I had hoped that she wouldn't pursue that, though I should've figured that hope was futile. Time to think fast, Miroku.

"It—it's kind of hard to explain," I began, struggling to make it up as I went along.

Kikyo-san checked her watch and shrugged lightly. "I have time." She rested her notepad on the bed next to her and folded her hands around one knee, settling in for the explanation. "Go on."

I sighed heavily, hoping the dramatization added to my predicament. Faltering for a second more I pinched my eyes shut and rubbed the bridge of my nose in frustration, before something occurred to me. Looking back at Kikyo-san, my mouth fell open dumbly in enlightenment. It was a longshot, but it just might work.

"It's like this," I began again, spreading my hands for extra emphasis. "I was poisoned, you know?" My hands waved down my body still sitting sick in bed, stressing my obvious weakened condition. "And, I guess, it's like I _feel_ like I know her, but I'm not sure if it's a hallucination or not. From the toxin or whatever." I frowned indiscreetly. That came out stupider than I had originally planned.

Kikyo-san nodded slowly, one side of her nose scrunched as she fed me a strange look. She unfolded her hands and reached for her notepad again, flipping back to the first couple pages and skimming through her notes. I hesitated, worried that Inuyasha and Kagome-chan informed her that I hadn't been complaining of hallucinations.

Finally she looked back up at me, her face once again resembling that of a composed and highly trained professional. "You said 'her,'" she finally said, "This… figment, she's a woman?"

I closed my eyes and tilted my head back, silently reveling in gratitude. "Yeah," I verified. Looking back at her, I tried to make my forced confusion sound convincing. "Do you think that's why I'm having trouble picturing Koharu-chan?"

Kikyo-san shook her head. "It could be," she surmised tentatively. "I'd like to know more, though, if that's possible. I want to be sure."

"Like…" I faltered apprehensively. Just how much did she want to know? How much could I get away with? "Like, what she looks like, or…?"

Nodding, Kikyo-san gave another light shrug. "Sure," she agreed genially. "Whatever you can tell me."

I nodded. That seemed easy enough. At least I wouldn't have to lie. "She's a little short, maybe just under average height. Brown hair, brown eyes…" I closed my own eyes again, trying to perfect my mental image of Mizushima. "Her eyes," I repeated, creasing my brow in concentration, "Her eyes are beautiful, almost hypnotizing. But it's not just that—_she's_ very beautiful. She's confident and strong, smart and witty. It's almost like… I've never seen anyone quite like her before…" I trailed off, opening my eyes after a short moment of silence.

Kikyo-san was looking at me strangely still, though this time there seemed to be a hint of wonderment to it. I immediately felt stupid for letting myself get carried away with describing Mizushima. After all, she was only supposed to be a figment of my imagination. A figment that undoubtedly Kikyo-san thought I was attracted to now. I huffed silently. Well there was no denying it now.

"Well," she breathed after a moment. "She certainly sounds… very pretty, indeed." She gave me a slight wink and a knowing grin. "Just like you said."

I frowned. I didn't appreciate her mocking tone that I was sure I heard. "Yeah, yeah," I shook her off dismissively. "Listen, can you help me here or not?"

Kikyo-san shook her head, still looking a little amazed. "Is that all there is? Do you only have the picture of her?"

I groaned, throwing my head back into my pillow and clutching my bangs in frustration. "No that's not all there is!" I glared at Kikyo-san, not completely aware of what I was saying. "Don't you get it? She's everywhere! When I close my eyes, she's there! When I go to sleep at night, I dream about her. When I wake up in the morning, I miss her. I just want her to go away or just—just…"

Kikyo-san looked thoroughly startled. "Just what, Miroku-san?" she asked quietly, intently.

I stopped, my mouth still open from my rant and still staring hard at the psychiatrist sitting in bafflement at the foot of my bed.

"I… I don't know," I finally finished lamely. "I just want her to go away." Now _that_ was a lie.

Clearing her throat, Kikyo-san once again reached for her discarded notepad and writing some more notes on a fresh sheet of paper. I looked down at my own sheet that she'd given me to write Koharu-chan, sitting crumpled and blank in my lap, the pen having rolled off my legs and onto the floor some time ago. Our efforts at writing my fiancée to try and break it off gently seemed to be for naught.

"You seem very stressed," Kikyo-san began, drawing my attention back to her.

I scoffed quietly. "No shit."

"I don't know if you're coping well with this," she went on hesitantly. "It's perfectly normal to be tense in situations like yours, but building a fantasy just to deal with it isn't…" she struggled to find the right word. "Ideal."

I stared at her in disbelief. This is what I got for finally trying to open up and talk with her? "You've got to be fucking with me."

She flinched at the curse, shook her head and refused to meet my gaze. "I'm sorry, Miroku-san, I don't know what else to say."

I threw my hands up into the air. "You know what? Fine. That's just fine. In fact you're completely right. It is just a fantasy. Just some demented, Stockholm Syndrome fantasy to deal with being stuck in this shitty little cabin for who knows how long, random break-ins that leave me poisoned and bedridden for two straight days and roommates who don't know how to keep it in the bedroom—" I stopped when Kikyo-san flinched more noticeably and folded her arms to her chest protectively.

"Sorry," I mumbled after an awkward moment of silence. "I was outta line…"

She didn't respond, making me feel even more like a scumbag. The painful and unbearable silence drew out and I glanced around the room helplessly, trying to find something else to distract me.

"You were right," Kikyo-san muttered at last, her voice barely above a whisper. I looked back at her, guarded and uneasy. "About Inuyasha and I. You're right."

I glanced around again, floundering for something to say. "I know," I finally said dumbly. "B-but you know, you don't have to tell me…"

She shook her head. "It's alright." She met my gaze slowly, and gave me a sad smile. "I've already decided not to do anything about it."

"Why not?" I was stymied and curious despite the overall volatile nature of our session today. Feeling as though I owed her some bit of comfort for inexplicable reasons, I continued, "It's not like you don't have a chance."

Kikyo-san looked at me with a morose skepticism.

"No really," I insisted. "I mean, it's like I said: Stockholm Syndrome. Who's to say that Kagome-chan doesn't have it?"

"Because Stockholm Syndrome only applies to kidnappers, not detectives assigned to protect somebody."

I shrugged this off. "So she's got a hero fetish. No big deal; that's something that's easy to get over."

Laughing quietly, Kikyo-san shook her head again. "It's really alright, Miroku-san, you don't have to try and make me feel better. Besides, I don't think Inuyasha and I would really work out."

"I think you would," I lied earnestly. Honestly, Kagome-chan and Inuyasha were already pretty tight; it was difficult to imagine them with anyone else. "You're a very pretty woman, too, Kikyo-san, and something tells me Inuyasha's the type to go for looks first."

She blushed and bowed her head modestly. "Well, I appreciate it, but I still don't think so. I'm three years older than him, after all."

"So?" I countered, "I've dated lots of women older than me. Experience is sexy."

Kikyo-san didn't look impressed. She sighed and got to her feet, checking her watch. "He seems happy with Kagome-san," she said decisively, "And I'm… I'm happy for him." She walked over to the door. "Thanks for talking with me today, Miroku-san. I'll see you later."

"Thanks!" I called hurriedly as she shut the door behind her. I mulled over our session again in my head, trying to make heads or tails of it. So much happened, and there were so many distractions that I wasn't completely certain that I'd gotten the help I needed. I glanced back down at the blank and crumpled paper still sitting in my lap. Crunching it into a smaller ball, I tossed it at the wall opposite of me, if only for lack of a trash can in my room. I wasn't about to write a letter to Koharu-chan without Kikyo-san standing over me and telling me what to say. Dealing with my fiancée was just going to have to wait.

I flung my leg off the side of my bed restlessly, trying to work up the strength to hobble to the bathroom. My foot rested on something thin, hard and cold, and it rolled away as I raised my foot to look at it. It was Kikyo-san's pen that she'd lent me. Bending to retrieve it, I nearly somersaulted out of bed as the action caused my head to spin painfully. It seemed slightly unbelievable that I'd forgotten my head was pounding.

I collapsed back onto my bed, squeezing my eyes shut and fighting off the newest wave of migraines. My need to go to the bathroom completely disappeared as I struggled through the last remaining symptoms of the toxin.

Finally working up the strength to call out for somebody, I raised my voice as loud as I dared with my head currently throbbing and said, "Hey!" I waited, still sprawled pathetically across my bed.

It took a little while, but Inuyasha finally swung the door open, looking a little peeved to be playing sick nurse.

"What do you want?" he demanded.

I pointed my finger, not knowing if I was even close to the right area. "Kikyo-san forgot her pen."

Inuyasha glanced down at the floor, frowning. "Well it's too late now. She's already gone." He stepped all the way into the room, closing the door behind him. "Is that all?"

I nodded slowly, keeping my eyes closed. "Yep. If you could just leave now, shut off the light and close the door, that'd be great."

There was a quiet moment between us, and I listened for any sign of Inuyasha doing as I asked. When I didn't hear anything, I finally tilted my head up and opened my eyes to an irritated squint. He remained standing in front of the door, his hands shoved in his pockets as he mulled over some internal debate.

"What do you want?" I asked, bitingly reiterating his demand from before.

Inuyasha shot me a dirty look. "Nothing," he said immediately, though he didn't move. "I have a question," he added, his tone still blunt and insisting.

I groaned, blindly fumbling for the sheets as I tossed them over me halfheartedly. Did everyone want to talk to me today? Was it too much to ask for a little peace and quiet while my head seriously considered exploding? Apparently.

"What?" I finally snipped impatiently.

"How long have you known Kagome?"

I cracked an eye open again, glaring at him with a tired interest. "What?" I repeated.

Inuyasha huffed irritably. "How long have you known her?"

"Three years," I said. "Now, is that all? Because I'd very much like to sleep now."

"No," Inuyasha snapped hastily, "Just give me a minute, alright?"

I groaned again. "You said you had a question. _A_ question; a, meaning one. You asked it, now please, I'm begging you, leave."

"Hold on a second," he insisted again, his voice getting louder as his anger grew. "It's not going to kill you to just talk to me for a sec."

I seriously doubted that.

There was another drawn-out pause, and I figured Inuyasha was debating things in his head again, though I didn't bother looking to verify.

"Has she, like…" he seemed at a loss for words, but then I realized that he was trying to figure out the least embarrassing way to say what he wanted. "Well, you know, has she dated anyone, or had any boyfriends?"

Against my will, my eyes opened and I stared at him incredulously. Was he really coming to me for relationship advice? I was suddenly a little nervous that I was not the best source for such advice, especially when it concerned Kagome-chan.

"No," I finally answered. "Not that I know of anyway. Kagome-chan's pretty good at keeping her personal and professional lives separate." I paused. "There was this one guy, Hojo-kun, but he didn't last long."

"What about him?" Inuyasha sounded much too overprotective and just a tad jealous.

I smirked. "I wouldn't worry about it. It was completely one-sided. Kagome-chan wasn't interested."

"Do you think she's interested now?" I was surprised at the direct nature of his question, though I didn't miss the silent "with me" that he'd neglected to tag on at the end.

I shrugged. "She's a hell of a lot more interested than I've ever seen her be in anything, let alone any_one_." I gave him a lewd grin. "Like I said, I wouldn't worry about it."

He frowned. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

I put my hands up in defense. "Hey, I'm just saying that I know Kagome-chan better than you, and I don't think she's the type to put out for just anyone."

Inuyasha bristled, his face turning a brilliant shade of red as he glared at me indignantly. He feigned ignorance, though there was a much bigger bite to his words as he snapped, "What?"

"What do you mean, what?" I scathingly played along with his ignorance. "Wait—you and Kagome-chan are having sex, right?"

He balked. "How'd you know?"

"I live here too, you know. I wasn't going to be kept in the dark for long." Never mind the fact that Mizushima had to verify it herself before I caught on.

He huffed, kicking at the floor uselessly. "I'm twenty-seven years old," he said gruffly, as if trying to convince himself of something before he admitted, "I've never been in anything this serious before."

"Neither has Kagome-chan," I assured him evenly. I waved him on, collapsing back into my pillow and closing my eyes. "You'll be fine," I added blandly.

Inuyasha didn't say anything, but I guessed he accepted my assurance by the sound of the knob turning. The gratitude was left unsaid as well, and I pointedly welcomed him in my head.

"Hey, he said as he stepped into the hall, "By the way, you're going to want to start feeling better pretty quick, Sesshomaru's ordered another safe house to be prepared."

I sat up quickly, too alert to notice my ferociously complaining migraine. "What?"

"Another safe house. You don't think we're going to stay in this one after a break-in, do you? So, get your ass outta bed quick, because we're hauling out ASAP."

He swung the door shut, leaving me to stew with this new bit of information alone. A new safe house? Where? Did that mean that they were prolonging the protective custody as well? There were too many questions and my head became too painfully dizzy to ignore anymore. I flung myself backwards onto the bed again, trying to shut out the world and just be satisfied with the black of the inside of my eyelids.

Finally, I felt myself slowly falling asleep, cognitively aware as each one of my facilities slowed down to a near stop. I couldn't dwell on it now. Inuyasha had been right; I had to get feeling better before I let myself get too worried over the new safe house.

Just as I was almost completely out, I was rudely jolted out of my revere by a sudden, urgent question.

What about Mizushima?

* * *

**AN: Hey, me again! I just wanted to apologize with the slow-ish updates. I'll get us there don't worry. At this point the story is more or less halfway done, so we are just getting to the top of the marvelous storytelling hill known as the climax! Yay! Anyway, read, please don't forget to review (I read them all and they make my day) and no flames, please. **


	11. Chapter Ten: September 13th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi**

**Chapter Ten: September 13****th**

Well it had finally come. My wedding day was here. All in all, it was far more relaxing than I had ever imagined; I spent the day meandering around the small cabin, teasing Kagome-chan and getting on Inuyasha's nerves. And there was no Koharu-chan around, which probably contributed to my good day. I'd long given up trying to dredge up any remembrance of her or our relationship, and instead focused on my much more perfect and detailed picture of Mizushima I had locked away in the immediate recesses of my mind.

My trepidation concerning our move to the new safe house and whether or not Mizushima would be able to find it had completely vanished by now. I had decided that if she could find me here, she could find me anywhere. The move, which would take place as soon as our police escort arrived with word from Sesshomaru-san, had not settled so well with Kagome-chan. My words of comfort—and even Inuyasha's—had fallen on completely deaf ears, even though I was pretty sure we both assured her that Inuyasha himself would still be there. She seemed entirely distraught that this new move would apparently prolong our time in protective custody, which by now we'd been in for just over a month. The fact that Sesshomaru-san was not taking any chances this time meant no letters of well-wishes and love from family either.

There was a knock at the door and I looked around the mashed-together kitchen and front room. Inuyasha must've been back with Kagome-chan, trying to convince her to speed up her packing. My own suitcases sat already packed and ready to go by the couch. The benefits of never completely settling in.

I walked over to the door, feeling particularly buoyant. "Who is it?" I called through the metal-plated wood.

There was hesitation in the reply as the knocker—who I assumed was our awaited escort—responded. "Yamaguchi-sensei?"

He sounded young. I would enjoy this. "No, I'm sorry; he's not here right now. Can I take a message?"

I heard footsteps behind me and I turned in time to see Inuyasha marching to the door hurriedly. He pushed me out of the way, cursing as he jammed his key into the lock. I sniggered and went back to my spot on the couch. This sagging, uncomfortable couch, by the way, was not something I would miss.

"Geez, Shintaro, it took you long enough," Inuyasha grumbled, shoving the young officer into the front room by the back of his collar. "Kagome!" he yelled down the hall. "Hurry up, it's time to go!"

Shintaro and I watched as Inuyasha stomped back down the hallway and disappeared into Kagome-chan's room. Turning my attention back to the boyish police officer, I grinned and waved at him cheekily.

"So you're our escort, Shintaro-kun?" I asked, pretending to have more interest in the frayed fabric stretched across the arm of the couch than in him.

"I-I am," he confirmed, standing a little straighter. His posture, however, did nothing for his height. For such a small, unimposing man, I was forced to wonder just how he'd made it onto the force. Sesshomaru-san didn't strike me as the type who appreciated underdogs.

I nodded, continuing to size him up. Shintaro turned red under my scrutiny and his bolstering posture slumped some. "How old are you?" I finally inquired.

"Twenty-two," he answered dutifully. I raised an eyebrow. It struck me has hard to believe that he was nearly Kagome-chan's age.

"Why do you do it, Shintaro-kun?"

His brow creased. "Huh?"

"Why do you do it," I repeated emphatically. "Why are you a police officer? What made you choose this career path?"

Once again, his shoulders squared off importantly. "My father was killed by a criminal. Now it's just me and my older sisters, and somebody has to protect them."

I straightened in my seat as well. "You have older sisters?" I asked with keen interest. "Are they married?"

"The oldest one, Hana, is," Shintaro replied obliviously. "The younger two aren't though."

I nodded again. "Tell me," I pressed forward, "Do you think they'd go for the businessman type, or do you think I should play up this 'criminal underworld's most wanted man' persona I've got going for me now?"

Shintaro's brow furrowed again. "I—I don't know what you mean…"

"Oh, Miroku-sensei," Kagome-chan called exasperatedly from the hallway. I looked over to see her stumble into the room, struggling with her suitcase while Inuyasha tromped in behind her, another of her suitcases in his hand. "Could you lay off the perverted bit for a while? Be serious for once?"

"Why Kagome-chan," I said, slapping a hand to my chest in mock surprise, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

She scoffed, giving her suitcase one final shove into the room before collapsing on the couch next to me. "Oh, _I'm_ sure," she shot back at me tiredly. Looking to Shintaro, she smiled in greeting. "Hi, I'm Higurashi Kagome, the other prisoner in this hellhole."

Shintaro's face reddened considerably as Kagome-chan addressed him. While she didn't seem to notice, Inuyasha's brow twitched and his jaw clenched with irritation. I grinned, taking a childish pleasure from the entire moment as I glanced back and forth between Shintaro and Kagome-chan.

"What?" Kagome-chan asked warily when she noticed my shifting eyes and mischievous grin.

"Oh, nothing," I assured her quickly, casting one last quick glance at Shintaro. "You look especially pretty today, is all."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Thanks," she said flatly. She still hadn't noticed that Shintaro hadn't taken his eyes off of her since she entered the room.

Inuyasha's teeth were grinding almost audibly. "That's enough," he declared gruffly, shoving Kagome-chan's suitcase into Shintaro's hands. "Let's get outta here." He looked at the younger detective expectantly. "Do you have the address?"

"Oh!" Shintaro dug around in his pockets, smiling nervously as he switched between three of them before producing a small, folded piece of paper. Inuyasha snatched it from his hands, opening and studying it with thin, unimpressed eyes.

"Yamaguchi-shochō said it would be best if we traveled in two cars," Shintaro explained, puffing his scrawny chest out again. He glanced at Kagome-chan and I, though his eyes lingered on my personal assistant, who now studied her nails in search of breaks or chips. I think he rather hoped Kagome-chan would end up riding with him to the new safe house. I got to my feet.

"Inuyasha's right," I said brightly. "We should go." I turned to Shintaro, clapping him on the shoulder. "I call shotgun!" Grabbing my suitcases, I moved towards the front door again, turning back to Inuyasha and saluting him mockingly. "Ready when you are, sir!"

Inuyasha glowered at me, before turning to Kagome-chan and helping her to her feet. She made to grab her own suitcase, the one she'd struggled to move into the front room, through Inuyasha knocked her hands out of the way. "I got it," he said, his voice once again taking on that same uncharacteristic gentleness whenever he talked to her. He handed her the key. "Unlock the door, will ya?"

I looked at Shintaro, who in turn looked thoroughly dejected. He caught my gaze and quickly looked away, his face resembling a tomato once more. I did feel a little bad for the kid; his hopes and dreams were over before they really began, though I got the feeling that a lot of men felt the same way when it came to Kagome-chan.

Kagome-chan unlocked the door and held it open as Shintaro, Inuyasha and I traipsed through, the latter of us burdened with suitcases. I followed Shintaro to his car, patiently waiting him to unlock the trunk so I could load my suitcases inside while Inuyasha and Kagome-chan loaded their own car. In all honestly, I was riding with Shintaro for another reason than protecting my roommates' relationship. I didn't think I could handle another ride like the one on the way to this safe house, and who knew how long this ride could be? Trust me, Shintaro; I was doing this for both our sakes.

Just as Kagome-chan settled into the passenger seat, she gasped and hurried to undo her seatbelt.

"My letters!" she said, already running back into the cabin. "I left them in the dresser!"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha was right on her heels, and for some (probably gallant) reason, Shintaro followed not too far behind. Within just a few quick seconds, I was left alone outside.

Stuffing my hands in my jacket pockets, I shuffled my feet, kicking miniature dust clouds up from the matted dirt that was the cabin's driveway. I walked around the car aimlessly, unsure of what I should do to kill time while the two dutiful heroes helped the damsel in distress with retrieving her letters. As I made my way around the front of Shintaro's car, something caught my eye, and my stomach jumped hopefully.

It was another pink post-it note, pasted onto the very edge of the hood. It was amazing that Shintaro hadn't noticed, and I hurriedly snatched it up, checking back at the cabin door to confirm the coast was clear.

_Enjoy the ride. Your new safe house looks nice._

I grinned. I was actually proud of Mizushima for this one; it was obvious she did her research. I glanced around anticipatively, though as usual there was no sign of her. Still, just to make sure, I made a quick jog around the cabin, peered into the windows of the cars and even checked underneath them before I finally admitted that she was nowhere to be seen. Leaning against Shintaro's car door, I sighed wistfully. I wondered how long this game of cat-and-mouse would be allowed to continue before Mizushima finally finished the job.

After a short moment of waiting outside by myself, I began to wonder if Kagome-chan's letters were not where she thought they were. I cast a wary eye down the dirt road that lead to the pitiful two-lane main street through town, before my eyes wandered to the sky that was quickly graying into sunset. Then I paused.

I was outside. Alone. No one to supervise me.

I cut a quick glance back at the cabin door, only allowing myself a few seconds' study before I started backing down the dirt road. How far was it to the town? I didn't remember the cut-off being too long in the car; surely it was still a distance I could easily walk. I was thirty feet away from the cabin before I turned and ran.

* * *

I had to stop after fifteen minutes of straight running, though by then I had already made it to town. Completely exhausted, I only allowed myself a moment's rest before I was back on the streets, keeping to the shadows as I was sure by now Inuyasha and the others had realized my absence. My cover was greatly aided by the early onset of night, ushered in by the giant storm clouds that churned dauntingly over my head. It was a little surprising to see the weather threaten to turn so wet after such a dry summer, but if a little rain prolonged my search through town, I was determined to be grateful for it.

Though, if I were to be completely truthful with myself, I wasn't quite sure what I had been hoping for by escaping into town. I had no proof that Mizushima would even still be around, and despite my infatuation, I was well aware that chasing her out was not the smartest thing. The poisoning from last week was still fresh in my mind.

Rain started to trickle as I trudged down the streets, and by the time I arrived at a small local high school, it had begun to downpour. Cursing quietly, I dashed for cover, seeking shelter in an unlocked gym storage unit. I scoffed bitterly, kicking at a discarding volleyball net on the floor.

I may have had some hesitancy in trying to find Mizushima tonight, but ending up cooped up in some smelly, damp high school gym equipment shed was not how I planned this night to go. Now I had no idea how to get out of this mess. I knew I should return to the cabin, or at least go back outside to try and find Inuyasha and the others, let them know I hadn't been kidnapped, though that didn't seem particularly appealing at the moment. My running away was certain to cause a huge mess, not just for Inuyasha, but for everyone back at the station as well. I groaned. I really screwed myself over this time.

I glanced back out the door, gathering the will to venture out into the storm. Mumbling to myself in complaint, I begrudgingly stepped outside, keeping my head lowered as rain continued to assault me relentlessly. Halfway across the small field, somebody pushed me from behind, pitching me forward a couple steps.

"Hey!" I whirled around, facing the offender defiantly. "What the hell do you think you're—"

Mizushima brushed her dripping bangs back. "So, what? You're chasing me now?" she demanded.

I was frozen, paying no mind as the rain continued to pelt the both of us. My mouth opened and closed stupidly, though I couldn't get my brain to think straight and figure out what to say. She looked angry with me, something that I didn't understand. Wasn't wandering around unprotected through a high school's field making her job ten times easier?

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she finally asked, choosing to ignore the temperamental rain as well.

I shook my head, still trying to get my words to catch up with me. "I'm not sure," I muttered at last, my hands burying themselves inside my jacket pockets. I felt a small piece of paper crumple as my fist smashed it and I suddenly remembered her note. Pulling the post-it out, I showed it to her, letting the rain destroy it as it dampened, unprotected by my jacket. We both stared at it for a moment.

"I wanted to see if I could find you," I admitted after a short pause.

"You were following me, then?" She folded her arms across her chest, and I couldn't help but notice that her trademark leather jacket made an even more pitiful insulator from the storm than mine did.

I nodded.

Mizushima pinched her eyes shut, digging the edge of her palms into her sockets for a second before she fixed me with another hard glare. Her vicious rubbing of her eyes caused her make-up to be smudged; miniscule black lines now ran freely down her cheeks with the rain.

"What's the matter with you?" she demanded, shrugging her arms incredulously. "I can't believe that you're just waltzing around some Godforsaken town when you're on the hit-list of about a dozen people!"

I did a double-take, looking at her with some measure of suspicion and interest. "Why would you care? I'm on your hit-list too."

Mizushima flushed, though I'm sure she'd like to blame it on the frigid rain more than any sort of embarrassment. "Trust me; I'm one of the nicer bad guys out there. You should feel lucky that I've been sent after you."

I shrugged and risked stepping closer to her. "I guess I can't argue with that."

She looked at me strangely, her face still glowing pink in the midst of the gray storm. Her eyes flicked warily to my hands, though I kept them innocently shoved into my pockets. Finally, she faltered back a step, a grimace evident on her face.

"Crap," she muttered, wiping her gloved fingers across her wet forehead absentmindedly. "This isn't going to be weird like the other night, is it?"

I supposed she was referring to a little over a week ago, when I'd called her pretty seconds before she drugged me. It wasn't by any means the impression I wanted to leave, but it was still understandable that she felt that way.

"No," I responded mildly. I was so close to her now, so close I could see her pupils dilate as I bent slightly to accommodate the difference in height. "This is going to be better…"

I pushed my lips to hers and kissed her, my hands finally coming out of my pockets to grab hold of her wrists; her hands were poised to either push me away or drag me closer, and I rather hoped for the latter. At last I felt as her small hands fisted the front of my jacket and stayed there compliantly. Taking a risk, I released her wrists and felt my way down to wrap around her small waist, tightening my grip just barely to edge her closer to me. The rain had long since devoid the both of us of any body heat, though I could feel has her chest heaved for lack of air against mine. I angled my head, momentarily granting us a scant second for breathing before my mouth captured hers again hungrily, taking another risk by deepening the kiss.

Mizushima made a small noise, of protest or of desire I couldn't tell, and I waited for her to put some force into pushing me away. It didn't come, and I silently thanked her by daring to sweep my tongue across her bottom lip, begging for entrance. She stiffened immediately, breaking the kiss as she moved her head back.

Despite the fact that she'd responded to my initial kiss, nervousness began percolating in my stomach. I had no idea how Mizushima might react, and I was a little afraid she might shoot first and ask questions later. As it was, she was still leaning into me, her hands clutching fistfuls of my jacket. Her eyes were fogged over and half-lidded; the look she was giving me was anything but hostile.

"Mizushima," I muttered, almost indistinctly. I moved forward, my slightly open mouth aimed for hers.

All at once, her eyes widened and she pushed herself away from me further, unable to fully escape my embrace as my own arms instinctively tightened around her waist.

"What are you doing, Tsujitani?" she demanded, her hands still shoving furiously against my chest.

"Kissing you," I answered honestly, a little befuddled. "Did—did you not want me to?"

"No!" Finally she was successful in wrenching herself from my grip.

"Mizushima," I repeated levelly, fighting to keep my head from the clouds. I missed the feel of her lips, her chest pressed against mine.

In a flash, Mizushima had her gun out and aimed at my jugular.

"You have five seconds to tell me why you did that!" she snapped, sounding flustered and almost hysterical. I sighed heavily.

"I think the reason should be pretty obvious by now," I mumbled irritably, putting my hands up in surrender.

She looked confused, though realization quickly dawned on her and she paled, looking sick with shock and dismay. Then I saw a flash of an emotion I knew all too well in a woman: she was flattered. I was slightly caught off-guard, though that was quickly overwhelmed by the exhilaration I felt at her nearly undetectable reaction.

"Hey," I offered as gently as I could, though she still looked startled.

"No, no, Tsujitani," she fumbled desperately, "Please don't say it." Her eyes were closed and her gun lowered.

"I think you're beautiful," I continued, disregarding her plea. "And… I want you."

She winced, and I swore I saw a tear leak out of a corner of her eye only to be hidden by rain.

"I want you," I repeated, more sure this time, despite the perverted nature of my confession.

Mizushima gasped sharply and lowered her head. I couldn't stop a triumphant grin from coming to my face, delighting in the way I could fluster her so easily.

"I know," she whispered after a while. She looked sheepish and almost ashamed, and for a brief moment I dared to hope that she harbored similar feelings for me, whatever those feelings were beyond a sexual attraction. I still hadn't sorted them out for myself yet.

"Mizushima," I said her name again, hoping the familiarity could bolster a positive reaction from her, though it wasn't anything I said that elicited any response.

"Oi! Miroku!"

I turned, my stomach dropping completely as I recognized Inuyasha, standing equally soaked with his own gun raised and cocked. For a moment I thought he was aiming the gun at me, but as I stepped aside with my hands once again thrown up in innocence, he didn't follow me, and I realized the barrel was directly aimed at Mizushima's forehead.

I looked back at her, my eyes wide with confusion, desperation, and panic. Even with Inuyasha's gun trained on her head, her gaze never left mine, her intoxicating brown pools slowly filled with anger and fear, though that wasn't was cut me to the core.

She looked completely and utterly betrayed.

Shit. Fuck, even.

She couldn't possibly think that I had lured her out here with the intent of turning her in; though by the hurt in her eyes it was evident that was exactly what she thought. I shook my head desperately.

"You got a lot of balls, Miroku," Inuyasha said, inching his way towards Mizushima predatorily. "Hey!" he shouted at her commandingly, "Drop your weapon!"

Mizushima let her own gun slip from her slackened hand without a second thought, letting it hit the wet grass with a heavy splatter.

No, no, _no!_

"Alright," Inuyasha was still yelling at her, his approach much more fluid now that she had dropped her gun. He grabbed at something in his back pocket, and I realized he was reaching for handcuffs. "Put your hands where I can see them!"

Once again, Mizushima complied, folding her hands behind her head in defeat and even dropping to her knees in submission. I was baffled. She should've been fighting back; I had no doubt that she could take on Inuyasha successfully. Her gaze flicked back to mine and the anger and sadness in her eyes quickly became unbearable.

"No," I finally whispered insistently, shaking my head as Inuyasha deftly moved behind her, keeping his gun aimed at her head with one hand while he restrained her wrists behind her with the other. "I didn't… _No_…"

She shook her head and lowered it, never uttering a word as Inuyasha flipped out his cellphone. Silence fell between the two of us as we both listened as Inuyasha completed his call with what sounded like Sesshomaru-san.

He hung up, put the safety back on his gun and secured it in his belt. Pulling Mizushima roughly to her feet by her arm, Inuyasha turned to me.

"That was the stupidest thing I think you've ever done," he informed me gruffly, though the smirk was clear across his face. "Good job leading us to this bitch." He regarded Mizushima disdainfully.

"I've called it in," Inuyasha continued, leading his captive roughly off the high school grounds. He didn't seem to notice that I still lagged behind. "We shouldn't waste any more time; we'll head to the station tonight." He looked back at me over his shoulder. "Looks like you've got your life back, Miroku."

My hands fell limply at my sides.


	12. Chapter Eleven: September 14th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Chapter Eleven: September 14****th**

The dull buzzing of the florescent light overhead was deafening as I stared at the floor hollowly, my eyes not absorbing the dingy linoleum at my feet. I vaguely registered the hushed conversation Kagome-chan was having with her mother on the other side of the police station's waiting room, though I was largely focused on what was happening behind that plexi-glassed divider that further prohibited our view of the main station.

Mizushima had been caught. It still seemed preposterous to me, considering how long she'd been able to freely sneak in and out of that dingy cabin undetected to taunt me for so long. I had no way of knowing what they were doing to her, and I had no idea what would happen to her after tonight, though that didn't stop me from burning with indignant protectiveness. Undoubtedly Sesshomaru-san had locked her some room heavy with surveillance for interrogation and I was dying to know what sort of information they were getting from her. I was almost jealous that the chief of police might come to know Mizushima better than I did.

I brushed my fingers across my lips absentmindedly, frowning slightly as they felt cold to the touch. For some reason, I had hoped that my mouth would still be warm from our kiss earlier, though combined with time passage and the cold rain, the hope proved to be futile.

It seemed almost unbelievable now, that I was finally able to kiss Mizushima. I had come to the conclusion that I had evidently wanted to do so for some time now, though Inuyasha's arrival and her arrest was not where I had wanted our kiss to lead. Actually, I wasn't even completely sure what I wanted to come from it at all; all I knew was that I desperately wanted to do it again. But with her in Sesshomaru-san's hands anything happening between the two of us seemed highly unlikely. Any future I had cooked up for Mizushima and I seemed so perverse and farfetched now it wasn't funny.

I heard my name being said and I jerked to awareness, looking over at Kagome-chan and her mother in confusion. They were staring at me expectantly.

Clearing my throat awkwardly, I hedged, "Sorry, what?"

"Can you see the clock from where you're sitting?" Kagome-chan repeated. "What time is it?"

I strained my eyes to see through the dingy plexi-glass to the main station's wall where the clock hung. Turning back to her I said, "It's a little after three."

Kagome-chan's eyes widened then sagged with fatigue and she slumped forward in her chair, her forehead supported by the edge of her palms. Her mother rubbed her back comfortingly.

"I can't believe it's already tomorrow," she groaned, then she scoffed mirthfully. "I can't believe this is really over."

Her mother brushed some hair over Kagome-chan's ear as she said, "I'm so grateful you're alright, though. Sota and Grandpa have been worried."

Kagome-chan sat up some, a small, sad smile crossing her lips. "I wish it wasn't a school night so they could come too." She cast her own look through the plexi-glass, even though she couldn't see the clock from where she sat. "Speaking of which, Mama, you should really be heading home. You can't leave Grandpa with Sota all night."

Kagome-chan's mother shook her head doubtfully. "What about you? How will you get home?"

Blushing indiscreetly, Kagome-chan said, "Don't worry; Inuyasha can give me a ride home." She shared an impatient look with me. "If they ever let us out of here."

I remained quiet as Kagome-chan and her mother bid goodbye, my eyes reverting back to the floor as they hugged tightly one last time before parting.

"I love you, Kagome," her mother said quietly, "Be careful; take care of yourself."

"I will, Mama," Kagome-chan promised. "Everything's fine now. Thanks for coming so late to see me."

There was a brief moment of silence and I figured that Kagome-chan's mother had nodded in reply as my gaze didn't lift from the floor. Then her voice rose slightly and I realized she was addressing me. I looked up again.

"It was nice to finally meet you, Miroku-sensei," her mother said, bowing her head respectfully.

I nodded, feeling a little awkward at the fact that Kagome-chan's mother insisted on addressing me as such when I was both younger than her and not her boss. "Nice to meet you too, Higurashi-san."

Her mother smiled and bowed again, saying goodbye to Kagome-chan one last time and leaving. Kagome-chan turned to look at me blankly before she slumped back in her chair, sighing heavily.

"What?" I asked, referring to the stare she'd given me.

"Nothing," Kagome-chan said unconvincingly. "I'm just tired."

"That's not it," I insisted, feeling perturbed and wired myself.

She looked at me strangely, her eyes narrowed before she shook her head firmly. "It's really nothing."

I nodded sardonically, making my disbelief evident. "Oh sure, because people scum others randomly all the time."

Her nose scrunched in offence. "I didn't scum you."

"Kagome-chan, don't play this game with me, I'm not in the mood. Will you just tell me what's wrong?"

She delayed a moment further, her eyes still narrowed with suspicion. "What were you doing, wandering around town like that?" she finally erupted, looking at me accusatorily. "Do you realize how stupid that was? You could've been _killed_, you know that right?"

I scoffed irritably. "Oh, please. Spare me your concern, will you? You're embarrassing me." My monotonous attempt at sarcasm didn't go over well.

"I'm serious, Miroku-sensei!" Kagome-chan reprimanded, her voice sharp and rising in volume. "I've had enough of your happy-go-lucky, unobservant ignorance. You have no idea the trouble you've caused for Inuyasha and Yamaguchi-san!"

I snapped. "Back off, Kagome-chan! I don't care if we're not at work; I'm still your boss and I deserve more respect!" It was a low blow but at the present moment, I didn't care. I really was sick of Kagome-chan's less-than-appreciative attitude towards me.

She stared at me, stunned at my outburst. Her mouth hung open slightly, though no words came to fill the void.

"Besides," I continued bitterly, "Let's not forget that it was my happy-go-lucky walk through town that led Inuyasha to catch the bad guy!" Again, I felt guilty for resorting to such a dirty copout, using an unwitting Mizushima to my aid.

"Miroku-sensei," Kagome-chan's words finally came back to her, though by then I had already had enough. I shook her off dismissively, slouching back in my chair and closing my eyes to the annoying, buzzing flicker of the florescent light.

"Just … shut up, please," I muttered tiredly. "I already told you I'm not in the mood."

Kagome-chan's mouth instinctively clamped shut, though she didn't appear to be too happy about it. Thankfully, however, the door to the main station opened and interrupted any chance she had to pursue our argument.

Kikyo-san stood in the doorway, her hair falling out of the twist at the base of her skull and her eyes supporting heavy bags. She held a half-drank coffee in her hand and her usual notepad was being balanced on her hip with the other.

"We're ready to take your statements now," she said, puffing a short breath of air passed her lips as an errant lock of hair fluttered down in her face. "Follow me, please."  
Kagome-chan and I stood obediently, following Kikyo-san down the familiar hallway down to her office. When we arrived at her door, she reached around us and pushed the door open, standing aside and gesturing for Kagome-chan to enter.

"We'll take yours in here," Kikyo-san explained, showing her to one of the big, cushy chairs facing her desk. "Since you were at the cabin with Shintaro, it shouldn't take so long. You should be out of here within the hour."

Kagome-chan let a small shudder of relief shake through her. "Thank God. I am exhausted." She plopped down in the chair that Kikyo-san had offered to her.

"I'll be just a moment," Kikyo-san went on. "I have to show Miroku-san to Sesshomaru-san's office, and I'll be right back to take your statement."

Kagome-chan nodded her on, tilting her head back as she fully relaxed in her chair. "I'll be here," she informed her needlessly, waving her hand flippantly as her eyes closed.

Kikyo-san shut the door securely and, sparing a brief look up to meet my gaze, gestured for me to follow her, though I had already been to Sesshomaru-san's office once before and could've figured out my way there. She knocked on the door once, waiting until the chief called out short invitation.

Opening the door only wide enough to slip her head through, Kikyo-san leaned forward as she addressed Sesshomaru-san urgently.

"Tsujitani Miroku-san is ready for you," she said, her voice muffled slightly to me as her head was poked into the small opening of the door.

"Alright, I'll be with him shortly." Sesshomaru-san sounded tired, though his exhaustion was tinged with a bit more irritation and ire than everyone else's.

Kikyo-san nodded and pulled back out from the doorway, closing the door and turning back to me.

"He'll be a moment," she explained unnecessarily. "I've got to get back to Kagome-san; will you be alright to just wait here for Sesshomaru-san?"

I nodded, digging my hands into my jacket pocket, briefly wondering what had become of the pink post-it from Mizushima before I figured I must've dropped it carelessly as I went in to kiss her.

"Thanks," I called after Kikyo-san as she walked back down the hallway. She turned back to me, startled, though she gave me a small after a pause.

"Anytime, Miroku-san." She disappeared down the corridor.

I leaned back against Sesshomaru-san's door, sighing as my testimony was further delayed by the chief. There were muffled voices seeping passed the closed door, and although I couldn't quite make out what they were saying, I heard enough to realize that Inuyasha was in his older brother's office with him. It sounded as if they were in the midst of a heated fight.

My curiosity piqued, I turned and pressed my ear to the door earnestly, holding my breath as their words became clearer, and I caught the last bit of Sesshomaru-san's demanding inquiry.

"… Have any idea the additional mess you've caused me? Or as usual, can I assume that you don't care?"

"Lay off, Sesshomaru. I already told you that I didn't intend for it to happen!"

I was a little shocked. An additional mess that _Inuyasha_ had caused? I pressed my ear harder to the lacquered wood, straining to figure out what mess Sesshomaru-san was referring to.

"And you're preventative attempts are astounding, I assure you." I raised an impressed eyebrow. Sesshomaru-san's sarcasm was seething and biting, something to demand respect.

Inuyasha scoffed gruffly in response, and even through the door I could feel the disregard he held for the chief of police and his brother. I had a sneaking suspicion what they were talking about. Sesshomaru-san continued, and my suspicion was verified as he spoke.

"You do realize that we don't even have paperwork for this, don't you? That means your fraternization is unprecedented, and highly unethical. I could have your badge for copulating with a victim."

"Shit, Sesshomaru, don't sugarcoat it or anything." Inuyasha's acerbity rivaled his brother's. Still, by the tone of his voice, he didn't seem too concerned that Sesshomaru-san would go through with his threat.

Inuyasha continued, "Listen, Sesshomaru, I know that I fucked up, okay? You don't need to rub it in my face. But it still doesn't change anything. I'm not breaking it off with Kagome."

Again, I was impressed. Inuyasha may not have looked like the romantic type, but he apparently was very devoted to Kagome-chan. I sincerely hoped she was aware of this.

There was a stagnant, lengthy pause as I listened for Sesshomaru-san's response. I could imagine him sitting at his desk, his thumbs digging into the inside corners of his eyes in annoyance.

Finally, he spoke. "I don't want to hear another word about this, alright? The moment you step out of this office you keep it to yourselves, do you understand that?"

Inuyasha didn't seem affected by the unspoken menace soaking Sesshomaru-san's words. "Whatever," he rebuffed.

"I'm serious, Inuyasha. You keep your professional and private lives separate, or so help me—"

"I got it," Inuyasha interrupted bitingly. There was a shifting rustling noise, and I propelled myself away from the door, trying to look innocent and disinterested as I waited for them to come out of the office.

It hadn't occurred to me the ethical and professional rules that Inuyasha had blatantly broken by getting involved with Kagome-chan. Everything seemed to be working out so well for them; it seemed odd that they would have any hindrances. Such rules certainly did not exist in my company, or if they did, I simply chose to disregard them as Inuyasha had. All of a sudden, a lot of refusals from many ladies around the office made a ton more sense. Huh.

The door to Sesshomaru-san's office opened and Inuyasha trudged out, looking tired like everyone else and vaguely pissed.

"All yours," he said, waving his hand dismissively towards the office. He quickly made his way down the hall, evidently going to find some place to relax while he waited for Kagome-chan to be done with her testimony.

"Tsujitani?" Sesshomaru-san called me into his office impatiently, not standing up from his desk.

My stomach was churning nervously as I apprehensively lowered myself to sit in one of the straight-backed, thinly-cushioned chairs facing Sesshomaru-san. It was one thing to keep avoiding the complete truth when it came to Inuyasha and Kagome-chan; they were helpfully distracted with each other. I highly doubted my ability to convincingly lie to the chief of police.

Well, at least it wasn't _really_ lying, I assured myself weakly, it was just leaving out specific details from the truth. I felt the vague desire to vomit.

Sesshomaru-san was looking at me expectantly, though I still stalled for a moment longer. I just wasn't sure how to begin. Finally, I cleared my throat.

"I was tired of being cooped up, that's why I ran into town." He raised his eyebrows minutely, apparently a little surprised at my option to just jump right into the thick of it.

"You couldn't tell Inuyasha or Officer Shintaro where you were going?" Sesshomaru-san's attempt at dry humor was almost bone-chilling. "Surely you must realize you worried them."

I floundered for a second, trying to come up with the best excuse for my actions earlier tonight. "Well," I hedged, "It was kind of on the spur of the moment, you know?"

He started at me blankly, unflinching and daunting, and waited for me to continue.

I cleared my throat again, hoping he didn't notice the nervous beads of sweat popping up around my forehead. This was it; the beginnings of my almost-lie, my half-truth. I prayed he would buy it.

"I-I was just wandering through town. Trying to stay out of the rain, I went for cover in a high school gym equipment shed, and that's when I ran into her. I didn't know who she was, because like I said, she wasn't the same person who attacked me that night—" my first all-out lie "—then she pulled her gun on me.

"I … panicked," I explained, silently cursing my slight hesitation as I continued with my not-so-honest confession. "But I realized that Inuyasha must've known that I was gone by then, and I just hoped he would get there in time."

"Which he did," Sesshomaru-san cut in flatly, though I didn't miss his suspicion. "And just in the nick of time, too. How convenient."

"Well yeah," I finished defensively. That part was entirely true. Inuyasha's appearance had been convenient, though at the time, I hardly thought so. Hell, I was still a little pissed at my moment with Mizushima being cut off by shaggy-haired bastard.

Sesshomaru-san leaned back in his chair, pushing his fingertips together thoughtfully as he scrutinized me. "That's all?" he verified.

I nodded, shrugging helplessly for effect. "Sorry. I wish it was more eventful, but now that everything's calmed down, I think everybody's making a bigger deal of this than it is."

The chief of police nodded, though his thoughtful demeanor had given way completely to scrutiny. I squirmed a bit under his unblinking glare, trying to assure myself that anyone would fidget when faced with that flat yet somehow demonic gleam in his eye. I had to keep telling myself my statement would hold.

"Fine," Sesshomaru-san finally, almost begrudgingly agreed, opening a drawer of his desk and producing a file folder with a single sheet of paper. He slid it over to me.

"This is a standard waiver, referring to your compliance and willingness to give a statement. It also holds an agreement to testify in a court of law should the occasion call for it." He pushed a pen towards me as well. "If you'll sign by the X."

I wanted to think about it for a moment, read the waiver for myself before I signed, though I was worried that any further hesitation on my part would blow my cover completely. Taking the pen, I scribbled my name on the given line, hurriedly passing both paper and pen back to Sesshomaru-san.

"Is that all?" I asked quickly. "Can I go home now?"

Nodding again, Sesshomaru-san stood from his desk. He led me to his office door, turning back to me as we both stepped into the hall.

"Thank you for your cooperation tonight, Tsujitani," he said, his tone far too even to sound even remotely thankful. "I am sorry to keep you so late." He offered me his hand.

"No problem," I muttered, shaking his hand once. I borrowed a line from Kagome-chan as I said, "I'm just glad this is over."

There was another nearly unbearable pause as I waited for Sesshomaru-san to relinquish my hand, once again feeling like an ant under a magnifying glass as his calculating eyes studied me once more.

Finally, he nodded again and dropped my hand. "There is one more thing," he explained levelly, "A check-out. It's a customary and simple procedure, just returning any personal items of yours that we've booked for investigative and protective purposes, things like cellular phones, personal computers and the like. It'll only take a moment longer."

I nodded, a little confused as to when they'd confiscated my cell phone and laptop. Remembering my call to Hachi's wife the day I left for protective custody made me worry slightly. Was I going to be in trouble for that too?

My attention was briefly diverted as a door on the outer edge of a juxtaposing hallway opened and Aoi Koga, Ayame-san's husband walked out. Sesshomaru-san had to turn to greet him, and I took advantage of his momentary distraction by peering into the room Koga had just left. The purposefully lowered voices of the two officers fell on deaf ears as I realized that Koga had neglected to shut the door all the way behind him, and leaning just a little provided me a more or less fair view of the room beyond it.

It was small; the opposite wall looked to be only five feet away from the entrance, and it was darkened considerably. The only light seemed to be from a few television screens built into the attached desk on the far wall, and my gaze was further drawn towards the window taking up a considerable portion of the wall above the desk, showing a view of a bigger room beyond the small vestibule. Though it wasn't the additional room that my breathing to hitch involuntarily.

I caught the glimpse of a person sitting in that room beyond the window. A small person, just the top of her head was visible from where I stood. But she had long dark brown hair pulled into a bun on the back of her head…

Sesshomaru-san turned back to me then, and I quickly straightened my posture as he addressed me.

"If you'll excuse me for just a moment Tsujitani, there's something I must attend to. I trust you can find your way back to the lobby?" He gestured down the hallway pointedly.

I nodded again, giving a brief but polite dismissal, fighting to keep my eyes focused on the chief rather than the carelessly unguarded interrogation room just over his shoulder.

"Give me ten minutes," Sesshomaru-san promised, excusing himself as both he and Koga turned down the juxtaposed hallway.

I started forward as well, making it look like I was on my way to the lobby, though I paused as I came to stand in the opening of that same corridor. Koga finally noticed that he'd left the door open and he tossed a hand out as he passed to push it the rest of the way closed. I had to act fast.

Barely catching the surprisingly heavy door with the tip of my shoe, I watched the backs of the retreating officers apprehensively, fearing they'd cast one last look over their shoulders to verify that I was doing what I was told. They didn't, and I felt myself slowly release a sigh of relief. I carefully kicked the door open and slipped into the small adjoining room with the screens, bracing the door as it finally clicked shut silently, and I listened as the automatic lock slid into place.

Plastering my back against the door, I surveyed the small room thoroughly, trying to detect any additional signs of surveillance beyond the television screens before me, which I was sure depicted a clearer view of the interrogation room on the other side of the window. I didn't see any, and I ventured further into the room, my heart speeding up considerably as the woman beyond the thickly-paned glass came into full view.

My suspicions were right, it was Mizushima. She was sitting in a metal-framed plastic chair, her arms locked behind her securely. I was reminded of that night a little over a week ago when she had me tied up in a very similar position. Her head was bowed, though her slouching posture was made all the more uncomfortable by the fact that her arms were restricted of movement up to her elbows. I felt horrible; it was because of me that she was in this place.

I wondered if she'd been able to hear me enter the room, though she didn't react at all if she had. A quick glance down at the only recording device on the desk in front of me confirmed a blaring, fully-operational green light. The other end of the recorder I could make out sitting on the table in front of Mizushima, though if I was going to speak with her, I didn't want it to be through some recorder. I glanced at the door to the side of the window, wondering if it too held an automatic lock.

I pushed the handle down slowly, and again my heart began beating irregularly fast as the handle gave way completely, the telltale signs of an unlocked door. Then I paused. What was I going to say to her? What could I say to make things better? She may have been stalling before but after tonight I was sure that she would have no qualms about killing me now. I suddenly felt very grateful she was restrained.

Remembering that Sesshomaru-san expected to see me in the lobby in ten minutes I only took a brief moment longer to take in some self-assuring breaths before I entered the interrogation room. Mizushima didn't raise her head at the sound of the door closing behind me, so I cleared my throat once, alerting her to my presence.

She looked up, startled, though her face quickly dissolved into a scowl as she recognized me. It was then that I finally noticed that her belt, gun, knife and gray leather jacket had been removed, leaving her in her black leather pants and pink tube top. Seeing her without her usual full regalia made me feel vaguely like I had just walked in on her nude, and as such I tried my hardest to not let my eyes linger on the amount of pale, soft-looking skin that was now visible.

I sat in the chair across the table from her, noting the exhausted, purple bags weighing down her eyes and the several locks of wild hair that had come untwisted from her usually flawless bun.

"Hey," I greeted softly, unable to stop the sheepishness in my voice. My guilt at realizing that it was my fault she was here in the first place returned with a vengeance. Not to mention the fact that her arrest happened a mere moment after I told her I was attracted to her, albeit in a slightly less romantic and more perverted way. With my luck, she probably didn't belief me now. I resolved to rectify that in the short ten minutes I'd been unwittingly granted.

She didn't answer me, instead simply casting a quick glance at the recorder sitting in the middle of the table, its green light still making it clear that it was on and catching every word we said. Carefully, taking a painful caution not to alert her further, I stretched my hand out, very aware of her eyes following my every move. If she was worried that I was reaching for her, she didn't show it, though her eyes did narrow suspiciously when my hand stopped at the recorder and slid the power switch to 'off'. Her eyebrow rose slightly, but she still took no initiative to speak.

Moving my hand back slowly attracted my eye to a previously unseen file folder sitting in front of me, looking innocent, provocative, and damning all at once in its simplistic nature. I slid it over to me and opened it.

My brow instantly creased in disappointment. If I had been hoping to solve any unanswered questions about Mizushima with this tempting folder, such hopes had been immediately trampled. The file was empty, save for one sheet of paper documenting her mug shot and fingerprints taken when she'd first been booked earlier tonight. Just to be sure I scanned the paper thoroughly and repeatedly, finding only two more clues to the elusive assassin sitting bound before me.

_Birthdate: 1993_

There wasn't a month or a day, though the year by itself was enough to make me choke a little.

She was only twenty years old.

I raised my eyes to look at her again, her own golden brown pools staring at me hard, feeding me a daring look, as if she was challenging me to dispute her prowess. I didn't, still sitting in a stunned silence as I looked at her incredulously. There was no way she was eleven years younger than me; she certainly didn't look it. I had originally put her at Kagome-chan's age, if anything a little older, but certainly not _twenty_.

Remembering her claim of being in her line of business for nine years made me choke again.

The math was simple. It would've put her being eleven years old when she started. I was certain now that Ueno Naraku must've conned her into working for him, for whatever sick and twisted reasons a man like him would need a kid doing his unsavory deeds. Two emotions bombarded me now: an overwhelming feeling of protective sorrow at the kind of life Mizushima had led since she was a kid, and a burning, all-encompassing hatred of Naraku. He should be locked in here now, not her.

The second clue came on the tab of the file folder, which I'd initially neglected when I'd opened it. I noticed scribbled kanji in the small jutted space, and I couldn't help a shadow of a grin from tugging at the corners of my mouth. I looked up at her again.

"Your name is Sango," I revealed, feeling uncharacteristically jubilant under her hardened stare. I'd wished for a first name ever since she'd told me her last, and I was feeling quite victorious upon finally learning it. Her name shared the kanji for coral, and even though her makeup was long ago washed away in the rain, I remembered the bright pink shades swept across her eyelids and I suddenly decided her name was very fitting.

Sango, however, had yet to say a single word to me. I decided to urge her a little further, aware that my time was quickly running out. I already down by four minutes.

"The recorder is off," I informed her reassuringly. "And no one is on the other side of that window," I nodded to the large reflective pane that I'd first seen her through, though on this side the glass was mirrored stealthily, "So you can say whatever you like."

She paused a moment longer, her head tilted thoughtfully as she mulled this over. Finally she spoke, her words carefully chosen and blunt. "… You're a piece of shit."

I grimaced, rubbing the bridge of my nose in minute frustration before I looked at her again. "Listen, I know you're mad, but you have to know… I meant what I said earlier."

Sango rolled her eyes, unconvinced, and this time her words were not marred by any hesitation. "You're a lying piece of shit."

My patience all but left me then. "Dammit, Sango, what I can I do to get you to believe me? Do you think I want you to be here anymore than you do?"

"Oh come on!" she retorted, aggressively leaning as far forward as she could with her arms locked behind her chair. "You use some perverted lines on me, you _kiss _me, and then all the sudden that cop is right there! Seems a bit too opportune to be coincidence, don't you think?"

I let out a dubious scoff. "You really do think I set you up, don't you?"

"What else am I supposed to believe? Go on, Tsujitani, tell me. I'd _really_ like to know!"

My eyes pinched shut in irritation. I had had enough of sarcasm tonight. Maybe if I tried a different approach…

Summoning all of my willpower to keep my voice level, I opened my eyes, fixing her with as intense as a gaze as I could muster as I said, "I didn't plan that, no matter how opportune it seemed. I meant what I said, and when I kissed you…" I trailed off, having trouble finding the right words to describe exactly what I felt when we'd kissed. It was kind of hard to explain when I still didn't understand fully myself.

I tried again. "When we kissed, I felt… It felt—awesome…" The word was out of my mouth before I could stop it and I silently cursed as Sango shook her head, unimpressed.

"You know," she began, her voice low and bitter, "I've been through too much to put up with shit from guys like you. I work for Kumo; do you think I give a fuck about anyone else? I'm only looking out for me and my brother, and I—" she suddenly stopped herself, looking pissed to have revealed too much, though I was still scrambling to figure out what it was.

Latching onto the last thing she said, I hedged, "You have a brother?"

Sango was immediately on the defensive. "What's it to you? It doesn't matter anymore. I can't do anything for him locked up in here." She lowered her head, apparently signaling the end of the conversation.

"Sango," I pressed, desperate to learn anything that would help me get her out of here.

"Just go," she said, keeping her head down. "You shouldn't even be in here in the first place."

"I want to help you," I insisted vehemently.

She laughed bitterly. "Please don't. I've had enough help from you."

I sighed, feeling dejected, curious and irritated all at once. Glancing at the clock, I realized that I only had a minute and a half left before Sesshomaru-san would come to meet me in the lobby. I stood, casting Sango one last look before I obeyed her command, slipping silently from the interrogation room and into the hallway once more.

I ran to the lobby, worried that somebody might recognize me and stop me in my escape from Sango's temporary holding cell. Slamming the door that separated the main station from the lobby, I elicited a strange, startled look from Kagome-chan, who was already waiting for Sesshomaru-san's arrival. I ignored her and plopped back down in the chair that they'd kept me waiting in for three hours before they called me back to give my statement.

Sesshomaru-san walked in about thirty seconds after I sat down, nodding at both Kagome-chan and I briefly before he walked over to the clerk. After signing another standard waiver, our cell phones, my laptop, and Kagome-chan's tablet were returned to us, all recent history completely erased from their memory cards and hard drives.

Kagome-chan wasted no time in unlocking her phone and tapping away at the screen, presumably texting or emailing several family members and friends to let them know of her return, even though it was half-passed four in the morning. My own phone was stored in my pocket without a second glance, and I dangled my laptop at my side limply.

Just as I was trying to think of a way to stall my departure, Sesshomaru-san spoke.

"Once again, we appreciate your cooperation this past month. Further support from the both of you would be extremely helpful and important, though we will do our best to keep this out of your hair." He waved his hand, almost seeming bored. "This all becomes quite civil from here on out, if only slightly inconvenient."

Kagome-chan started to nod, but was cut off as the door to the lobby swung open and crashed into the adjoining wall deafeningly. It was Koga again, his eyes wide and alert, and every inch of his body tense with apprehension and adrenaline.

"Chief!" he said urgently, bracing himself in the door frame from his undoubted sprint to find Sesshomaru-san. "It's that girl from Kumo—Mizushima. She's gone!"


	13. Chapter Twelve: September 14-15th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Chapter Twelve: September 14****th ****-15th**

The police station went from zero to Mach ninety in the blink of an eye. Sesshomaru-san angrily demanded every police officer in the district to be called in, no ands, ifs, or buts. Kagome-chan and I were herded back to Kikyo-san's office, locking us in and leaving us to sit in anxious confusion as we struggled to figure out exactly what had happened.

Kagome-chan started crying almost immediately after we were left alone in Kikyo-san's office, burying her face in her hands and sniffing occasionally.

"Kagome-chan," I muttered, a little stymied as to why she was crying. Personally, I felt elated that Sango had been able to pull off another of her famous last-minute escapes, though I was also aware that I was most likely the only person who did feel that way. "What's the matter?"

"What do you mean, 'what's the matter'?" Kagome-chan demanded in a watery voice. "Even _you_ have to know what this means!"

"Well, yeah," I agreed, slightly miffed at her insinuating emphasis. "But it's going to be okay, you know. And we're in the police station, possibly the safest place for us to be right now." I felt proud of my comforting effort. Compared to Sango, calming Kagome-chan was a piece of cake.

She didn't look convinced, and tears continued to pour freely down her cheeks as her crying worsened. "No, it's not going to be okay!" she insisted. I could barely understand her now, her voice becoming too diluted by her sobs. "And I don't care if we're in the safest possible place! This was supposed to be over, Miroku-sensei. I was supposed to be able to go home!"

Her words completely disintegrated into sobbing, and I patted her back in an awkward silence, trying to figure out what to say that she wouldn't twist and shove right back in my face.

Coming up with nothing, I was forced to just sit in silence and listen as Kagome-chan exhausted herself even further with crying. My thoughts, unsurprisingly, wandered back to Sango, and I started inventing new scenarios in which I imagined how she escaped. She always seemed to be two steps ahead of me, however, so even my smartest attempts seemed like child's play compared to her past feats. I sighed wistfully, hoping Kagome-chan didn't notice, though she still appeared to be too consumed with sobs to notice much of anything else.

I supposed my brief conversation with Sango in the interrogation room would be the last I would ever have with her. There might not have been much known about the head of the Kumo conglomerate, though I was almost certain that Naraku wouldn't allow her to finish her job after her arrest. I wondered what would become of her; would she be punished, or would she simply be reassigned? Did assassins have something like a probationary period?

These questions did nothing to aid my smarting conscience, as anything that did happen to her would also be my fault for letting her get arrested. It seemed as if I had unintentionally ruined her life no matter what, and if I wasn't sure before, I was positive now that Sango would want nothing to do with me. That was, of course, contingent on if we would ever see each other again.

I heard the twisting of a key in the door's lock and I looked up, startled from my gradually depressing thoughts. Kagome-chan hiccupped on a cry and sniffed, looking from the door, to me, to the door again in confusion.

The door to Kikyo-san's office opened, revealing Sesshomaru-san, Inuyasha and Koga standing in the hallway. Each looked very grave and tense, though Sesshomaru-san looked especially irate. I swallowed nervously. Well this couldn't be good.

Without a word all three entered the room, and Sesshomaru-san took a seat in Kikyo-san's chair. Inuyasha came to stand behind Kagome-chan, and Koga remained by the door, twisting the key in the doorknob once more and relocking the door behind them.

I noticed Sesshomaru-san carried a laptop with him, though presently he set it on Kikyo-san's desk and left it closed, balancing his elbows on top of it and folding his fingers in a vain attempt to control his temper.

"Tsujitani," he addressed me, and I twitched involuntarily. No, this was not good at _all_.

I cleared my throat before I answered, willing my voice not to crack. "Uh … yes?"

"I was hoping you'd be kind enough to revise your prior statement," Sesshomaru-san said, his voice dripping with venomous disdain.

"Um…" I hesitated again, seriously mulling over his request. I nodded my head thoughtfully as I debated, though I quickly shook it resolutely. "No."

Kagome-chan turned to Inuyasha and asked softly, "What's going on?" Inuyasha only hushed her.

Sesshomaru-san's eyebrow cocked in irritation and his eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "No?"

"Yeah," I insisted, nodding again. "No. I'm not going to revise it."

Inuyasha scoffed behind me, clearly frustrated at my uncooperative behavior, though he didn't move to say anything else. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Koga lower his head and shake it reproachfully, and Kagome-chan turned back around in her chair to face Inuyasha once more, braving another quiet inquiry.

Sesshomaru-san, however, suddenly looked remarkably agreeable. "Fine," he acquiesced, removing his elbows from the laptop and opening it. "Perhaps you'll be more inclined to agree after this." He punched a few keys on the keyboard, paused for a brief moment while he waited, then turned the laptop around to face me.

I stared dumbly at the screen, almost in denial at what I saw. It was a very pixelated picture of me, sitting across the table from Sango in the interrogation room.

Kagome-chan gasped sharply, her hands flying to her mouth as she muttered disbelievingly, "Miroku-sensei!"

Sesshomaru-san was looking at me expectantly, though I was still too entranced by the incriminating picture of me and Sango. The utter stupidity and foolishness was nearly crushing me flat; I had known that there were television screens in the vestibule attached to the interrogation room. I had known that surely they were recording everything in sight, notwithstanding the only smart move I had made by turning off the voice recorder.

Finally, my mouth hung open dumbly as I still fumbled for words. I was able to tear my eyes from the laptop screen at last, looking back to Sesshomaru-san. Quickly regretting this, I realized that the chief of police was giving me an evilly smug look, entirely sure that he'd cornered me at last. There was a small, choked-sounding noise in the back of my throat as I pushed for something to say, though Sesshomaru-san held up his hand, impeding my sluggish effort.

"Please," he stipulated, "Just another moment." He reached around the screen, tapped another key and suddenly the picture flicked from a random still taken in the midst of our conversation to the beginning, when I'd first slipped into Sango's interrogation room.

There was a small noise from the laptops speakers, and I realized, as the camera focused on the back of my head, that the recorder, still on at this point, had picked up me clearing my throat to alert Sango to my presence. The speakers fizzled with white noise as, in the video, I slowly approached the table where Sango sat.

Even with two officers and the chief of police surrounding me, I still found myself drawn to the recorded image of Sango on the screen rather than myself. Watching it play back, I realized that she looked much more miserable than I remembered her being, and even through the pixelated, fuzzy view of the cameras, I could see the subtle tension in her muscles as she fought against her restraints. Why hadn't I realized it before?

"'Hey,'" I heard myself say on the video, my voice sounding warped and muffled by the poor quality of the laptop's speakers. The five of us watched as my hand slowly reached out over the table, shutting off the recorder and silencing the white noise from the computer speakers once and for all. From here on out it would be a silent feature, though I realized it would be no less implicating.

The silence was deafening as we continued to watch the video unfold, me looking through the file folder sitting on the table, then Sango finally responded and our conversation grew more animated and intense before it finally simmered back down, eventually leading to my escape from the interrogation room.

Sesshomaru-san paused it there, holding up his finger knowingly as our eyes slowly slid from the laptop screen up to his. The video flicked once in mild complaint to being stopped so suddenly, but eventually the still image of Sango watching me leave was frozen on the screen.

My heart leapt a little at the sight; I hadn't known that she'd watched me go.

His finger hovering over the play button, Sesshomaru-san turned his gaze from me to the screen again, his face blank yet somehow still arrogant.

"I think you'll find this most interesting," he said, his voice low and taciturn. He tapped the play button.

The video resumed, and almost immediately after I'd taken leave of the interrogation room, Sango's arms suddenly burst free from the handcuffs. She ran after me, catching the door in the nick of time. Slipping through the door, she vanished from the screen, and Sesshomaru-san halted the playback once again, freezing the perfect view of the empty room.

I stared at the laptop, dumbfounded and a little impressed. Sango had made her escape literally seconds behind me; she was practically on my heels, yet I hadn't even noticed. I was too preoccupied making sure that I returned to the lobby in time to meet Sesshomaru-san. Once again I was left to marvel in this girl's prowess, something that was especially amazing now that I knew exactly how old she was.

Looking back at the chief of police, I tried to decipher his thoughts. Did he think that I had somehow aided her escape? Even with the sound off, the video was clear enough that I had done no such thing. Still, talking with the woman supposedly caught in the midst of trying to kill me was not something that, in light of the situation, they were willing to dismiss as altogether innocent. I had to weigh my options here.

Sesshomaru-san slowly pushed the laptop closed and refolded his fingers. "Now," he said, all arrogance completely faded away, "About your statement."

My brow furrowed as I debated what I could say. I realized virtually anything I did say was going to eventually be turned and used against me, and that was enough to keep my mouth closed forever. Frowning, I started looking around me, trying to gage the reactions of the others in the room. Kagome-chan had started crying again, though her tears were much more inclined to be silent as she refused to look at me, Koga scowled at me harshly; it was clear that he blamed me for the entire thing. Looking back at Inuyasha, I confirmed that he was glaring at me too, though I could also tell that his glare was more out of bemusement more than anger. He was trying to figure me out, refusing to jump to conclusions and giving me the benefit of the doubt. I wondered just how much of my interaction with Sango in the rain he'd seen before he'd made his presence known.

Finally, I looked back to Sesshomaru-san, whose patience I'd just spent the last of. He gave me the worst glower of all; rather looking like he'd want nothing more than to reach across Kikyo-san's desk and strangle me to death himself. His fingertips had gone white with the effort to keep them folded and docile.

Decidedly clenching my teeth as to not utter a single sound, I shook my head resolutely, eliciting three varying noises of disappointment and anger from Koga, Kagome-chan and Inuyasha. I wasn't going to budge though, no matter what they thought that I was keeping from them. It wasn't like Sango had told me anything that would be useful to them anyway. Even as Sesshomaru-san leaned forward in his chair imposingly, I held firm, almost daring him to try to threaten me. I was putting on a much braver front than I actually could back up, though my stare still didn't waver from his.

"You do realize, Tsujitani," he stared, bracing himself on his elbows as he leveled his cold eyes with mine, "That I could charge you for withholding information crucial to the investigation from the police."

I shook my head again, allowing a small grin to form as his empty threat hung in the air. Letting out an amused huff, I finally spoke. "No, you couldn't. You can't charge me with anything." I was growing more confident as I realized the truthfulness of my own words. I may have screwed myself over here, but I was still Tsujitani Miroku, a powerful figure in Japan in my own right.

"I don't think you fully realize who you're dealing with here," Sesshomaru-san countered, his voice edged with uncontrolled rage.

Again, I shook my head, feeling as my grin widened haughtily. "I'm afraid it's the other way around, Sesshomaru-san. Think about it: what would happen, not just to Tokyo, but to Japan's, and even China's, America's, England's, and France's economy if you were to lock me away. I am the only thing standing between this city and economic chaos, I am the bedrock of fifty different international companies in this city alone, and I am the only person qualified to do what I do. I am the reason that organized crime pays its dues like everybody else!"

Sesshomaru-san's face reddened with ire, his eyes wide and glaring, and I half-worried that the pulsing vein above his eyebrow was going to burst completely.

I sat back in my chair, folding my arms triumphantly as I pulled out my trump card. "And finally, let's not forget whose company insures Japan's _entire_ police force and National Security forces." I tapped my chin contemplatively. "What was that fiasco with those officers last year, who were embezzling thousands of yen from the force to pay their debts with Yakuza?" I smirked. "Yeah, that was a nice cover-up, wouldn't you agree? And trust me when I say it cost way more than a pretty penny."

Sesshomaru-san catapulted to his feet abruptly, and rather than be yanked to his level by the front of my shirt, I stood as well, keeping my arms folded in front of me defensively. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Inuyasha yanked Kagome-chan out of her chair and pulled her behind him protectively. Koga took a step forward, but froze, unsure of whose protection to go to.

"I don't care who you are!" Sesshomaru-san thundered in my face. "One way or another, I will see that you pay for the mess you've caused!"

I snorted, though quickly backed away to be far out of the chief's range. "Good luck with that. Ask Kagome-chan; I don't pay for my own messes, only those of others. And yours."

I heard Kagome-chan groan lightly from behind me. "Miroku-sensei, why are you bringing me into this?"

Ignoring her, I leveled Sesshomaru-san with a triumphant look; we both knew I was going to win this argument. Thank God for corrupted politics; without them, I'd be sitting in my own interrogation room right now.

At last, Sesshomaru-san leaned back, sucked in a long breath through his nose and scrutinized me calculatedly. "After all the lies you've told me tonight," he said irritably, rubbing his eyebrows as if to ward of a serious headache, "I'm not sure whose word means what anymore."

"You don't have to take my word for it," I jumped in helpfully. I looked back at Kagome-chan, who shook her head defiantly.

"No way. You keep me out of this, Miroku-sensei."

I could tell she, as well as Inuyasha and Koga, were very confused as the sudden, sharp turn the discussion had taken. One minute, Sesshomaru-san had me backed into a corner, the next I'm blackmailing him. I resisted the urge to shrug arrogantly. All in a day's work.

The chief of police looked from Kagome-chan back to me, passed irritated and completely exhausted. "Now what?" he demanded.

I faltered for a moment. Kagome-chan would've been the easiest option to back me up, though she clearly wanted nothing to do with this. Casting an eye to the clock on the wall, I debated as I watched the minute hand slowly slide to the nine, showing a quarter to seven in the morning. I made up my mind and dug my hand in my pocket for my phone.

"Let me call Hachi."

* * *

Hachi arrived exactly thirty-five minutes after I'd gotten off the phone with him. I did feel bad that I had to drag him all the way out to the police station when he had to be at work at nine, but he was my last chance to get Sesshomaru-san to cooperate with me. It took a while to get him filled in on everything that had happened since the last time we'd seen each other, though eventually he more or less understood the situation. Or at least, the situation as everyone else believed it to be. I had yet to figure out a way to inform them exactly how long I'd known of Sango's identity without it just getting me into even more trouble. For continuity's sake, I left it out of the story yet again, along with the bit about Sango's and my kiss, though that I neglected to tell for sense of privacy.

Finally the three of us—Sesshomaru-san, Hachi and I—sat in the chief's office, ready to finally hash things out. Our all-nighter was catching up with us, and for a moment nobody spoke. Hachi waited patiently through the silence, balancing his briefcase on his knee and casting an interested look around the office.

At last, Sesshomaru-san spoke, "Alright, Yoshida. Maybe you can explain why Tsujitani has brought you here?"

Hachi gave me a sidelong glance, and I shrugged my shoulders uselessly. I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen from here on out, and I had to admit that I was a little worried I had overestimated Hachi's skills as a mediator.

Clearing his throat, Hachi began, "First of all, I don't think we should forget the fact that with that Mizushima girl on the loose, Miroku-sama's life is still in danger."

Sesshomaru-san rolled his eyes impatiently. "Yes, yes, of course. I'll thank you to not insult me or my officers."

Hachi was taken aback some, but he pressed forward nonetheless. "Yes, erm, forgive me." He twiddled his thumbs for a moment, a habit I'd come to recognize as him recollecting his thoughts. "Perhaps I should just get to the heart of the matter, then?"

Sesshomaru-san's eyes narrowed unnervingly. "Perhaps."

Once more clearing his throat, Hachi set his briefcase on the floor next to his chair and leaned forward in his seat, balancing his elbows on his knees. "I don't think you have anything to worry about Miroku-sama's conversation with Mizushima."

"So he says. Would you care to tell me why?"

"Because Miroku-sama cares about people." Again, Hachi gave me a sidelong glance, though I didn't miss the friendly gleam in his eye. I grinned. Like always, he was looking out for me.

Sesshomaru-san didn't seem as moved by Hachi's statement as we were. "Come again?" he asked irritably.

Hachi's tone remained patient as he explained, "He's a people person, and he genuinely wants to know people for who they are." He winked at me. "Even the bad ones."

Though I could tell Hachi's tag-on statement was probably just to nullify Sesshomaru-san, I frowned inwardly. Sango wasn't a bad person, she was just … misinformed.

The chief of police slowly slid his tired and unimpressed gaze from Hachi to me. "That's it?" he clarified flatly. He seemed to have reached his limit for the day already, despite it still being early morning.

Hachi nodded resolutely. "Rest assured, Yamaguchi-san, Miroku-sama's intentions were wholly innocent."

Well, I acquiesced silently, innocent enough.

Sesshomaru-san scoffed in frustration, rubbing the tips of his fingers furiously into his temples. "Well then, it seems like I have no choice, do I?" he asked no one in particular. He looked back at me. "Fine, Tsujitani, for the time being, I will ignore your serious lapse in judgment for the time being while we find your _friend_." The word was rudely emphasized and I frowned, not in the mood to have my character judged on top of everything else that was going on.

Hachi grinned triumphantly. "Thank you, Yamaguchi-san. I promise, you will have the fullest cooperation from Tsujitani-Yoshida from here on out."

"I'd better," Sesshomaru-san huffed evenly. Opening a folder on his desk, he slid a piece of paper over towards Hachi and I. Leaning forward, I realized that it was a blown-up picture of Sango's mug shot from earlier this morning.

"For starters, we're keeping you under surveillance until we find Mizushima," he informed me, "You and Higurashi both." He eyed me disdainfully. "And I expect the full truth from you from now on, and no more sneaking about."

I nodded begrudgingly, feeling very much like a child who was just reprimanded by his parents. I waved him on dismissively. "Fine."

"Secondly," Sesshomaru-san went on, placing his fingers on the mug shot pointedly, "It would probably be best if your company thought of a public statement as soon as possible."

Hachi and I exchanged a look. "Why?" I demanded suspiciously.

"We're airing this on the eight o'clock news," his eyes slid to the clock on the wall before returning to meet my gaze once more, "In fifteen minutes. It would be best, appearance-wise, if your company could accompany it with a brief and vague explanation of recent events."

"No!" I intervened quickly, eliciting a shocked look from Hachi and a slightly more frustrated one from Sesshomaru-san. "No, I'm—we're not going to do that."

Hachi cleared his throat and leaned over to me, lowering his voice and casting Sesshomaru-san a nervous look. "Miroku-sama, Yamaguchi-san is right, a public statement would save the company face."

I shook my head emphatically, disregarding Hachi's advice and focusing on Sesshomaru-san instead. "I meant we're not airing her mug shot on the news. There's no way."

The chief's eyebrow twitched in anger. "And why aren't we?"

"Because…" I faltered and trailed off, unable to think of a reasonable excuse. Even if I wasn't entirely sure of the true purpose behind it, I was still adamant about not plastering Sango's face all over Japan. Then her life would really be over, and again, it would be all my fault.

"Because my company has had enough bad press with the bomb going off last month," I finally continued determinedly. "I'm not risking the reputation involved with associating in any way with a fugitive."

Hachi's eyebrows rose at my explanation, and he looked to Sesshomaru-san to gage his reaction. Even I had to admit my own surprise at my reasoning, though surprise quickly gave way to pride. And Kagome-chan said I didn't know how to do my job.

"So no," I concluded decisively. "We're not airing her mug shot and there will be no statements of any kind. Any further cooperation on my end will be contingent on the investigation going forward as presently: under strict secrecy and media silence." Damn, I was good.

Sesshomaru-san looked very irate to be backed into a corner for the second time today. He shoved the mug shot back into the folder and tossed it aside. "Fine, Tsujitani, we'll do things your way." He looked to Hachi. "That will be all, Yoshida, thank you."

Hachi seemed put out by the sudden and rather rude dismissal, but he stood nonetheless, gave Sesshomaru-san a respectful bow and grabbed his suitcase. I followed him out, more than eager to finally escape the chief's office and mind my own business. I walked with Hachi out into the lobby, and stalled there, wishing I could just follow him all the way out and split the cab fare to my building.

"Thanks for coming by, Hachi," I said gratefully, offering a hand for him to shake.

He took my hand firmly. "Anytime, Miroku-sama." He chuckled a little, "Just try not to cause too much trouble around here again. I'm not sure how much longer my excuses will hold water with Yamaguchi-san."

I laughed, hanging my head in shameful acquiescence. "I'll do my best," I promised.

"Let's just hope this ordeal ends soon," Hachi said as he parted. "You're sorely missed at the office, Miroku-sama, and I won't even tell you how badly you're missed by Nanako-san."

I winced as I waved at Hachi's retreating figure as he hailed a cab for himself. Koharu-chan… I wondered if I would still be allowed to use my phone while under surveillance, though the idea of talking to my fiancée still didn't strike me as appealing. Besides, I was still too distracted by Sango.

Finally, I resolved to settle things with Koharu-chan as soon as things with Sango settled first, though I wasn't quite sure when that would be. I doubted Sango would reappear for a very long time, and I wondered if Sesshomaru-san would eventually give up and send us home instead, rather than wait for her to make another move. Any new information he would've hoped to gain on Kumo rested on her capture and testimony, though it seemed highly unlikely to me that any of us would see her again.

* * *

Inuyasha booked us a room at a nearby hotel half-passed midnight. It only took Kagome-chan and I an entire day of complaining about being cooped up in the station before Sesshomaru-san finally agreed to let us go. The hotel was short on rooms so late at night, and as such the three of us were consigned to one room, though Inuyasha quickly reasoned that this was for the best, as he wouldn't be able to stay with us all the time. He'd been assigned as part of the man-hunt after Sango, and having Kagome-chan and I in one place seemed to give him peace of mind, if only because it ensured Kagome-chan's safety more so than my own.

Though I'm sure she would've preferred that she and Inuyasha share their own room, Kagome-chan was complacent enough and kept the flirting to a minimum. However, having them share a bed a mere nightstand away from mine was a little uncomfortable. Hearing them kiss goodnight was more than enough persuasion to keep my head buried underneath the pillow while I tried to get some sleep. At least Inuyasha was up before the sun and was gone within five minutes.

Kagome-chan and I, however, slept late into the day, neither one of us stirring until around noon. Having been up for a full twenty-four hours the day before ran us both completely into the ground, and the six-thirty wakeup call and the knock from the cleaning lady around seven-thirty went ignored. Honestly, I felt like sleeping till Kingdom Come, though as Kagome-chan shook me awake at a quarter passed noon, informing me that she was going to be soaking in the bath for a while and ordering me not to come in, I reluctantly rolled out of bed myself.

I stretched and glanced around the hotel room, noting for the first time that, despite being forced to share a room, this hotel all in all seemed quite nice. The sheets were obviously clean and fresh when we first arrived last night, the beds themselves enormous and highly comfortable, and the overall size of the room was nothing to complain about either. It was divided into two areas, one for sleeping and the other for living, designated by a set of French doors separating the areas. The sound of the water pouring into the bathtub hummed, slightly muffled, in the background while I decided to explore the room that Inuyasha had booked for us.

Halfway through exploring the closet space of the shared bedroom/bathroom area, I realized that my stomach was groaning quietly for food. Remembering that I had hardly eaten anything the day before, I wandered into the living room in search of that promised mini-fridge the concierge had mentioned when we booked the room. Though it was still quite some time before evening, I hoped the fridge was stocked to bursting with plenty of those tiny bottles of alcohol.

The living area was brighter than the bedroom, with a substantial amount of natural light pouring in from the balcony off to the right of me. Squinting slightly, I rounded the corner and stopped cold, my mouth falling open in uncontrolled astonishment.

Mizushima Sango was in our hotel room.


	14. Chapter Thirteen: September 15th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Chapter Thirteen: September 15****th**

Her back was to me, her long brown hair hanging loose and ending at her waist rather than being held back in its usual bun. For a moment, I was distracted by the chocolate-colored locks; I had no idea her hair was that long. I immediately decided that I liked it down far better than I liked it up. There was no doubt that she knew I was standing a mere three feet behind her, though she made no move to immediately turn around. She seemed fixated on a small decorative table pushed up against the wall and the bowl of selected fruits sitting on top of it, one hand folded behind her back while the other perused the fruit interestedly. Inevitably my eyes were drawn lower, and remained focused on her behind, preoccupied by the width of her hips, the sloping dip of her lower back as it rounded out, and the overall firmness of it. Why hadn't I noticed before? Her ass was absolutely perfect.

Finally, she spoke, and guiltily my gaze jumped up to the back of her head, worried that she somehow sensed my admiring and less-than-gentlemanly thoughts.

"Did you know that this is real fruit?" she asked, turning around to face me at last. She popped a grape into her mouth. "That's the sign of a good hotel you know, when their centerpieces are real instead of that plastic crap."

She rolled the grape around to the inside of her cheek and bit down, her pouting lips forming a closed 'o' shape as she closed her mouth around it. I found myself suddenly feeling very jealous. Of a grape. Frowning indiscreetly, I folded my arms defensively, as if closing myself off from any further stimuli she unwittingly fed me. What the fuck was wrong with me; being jealous of a fucking grape?

Sango wasn't waiting for me to reply, and instead started wandering around the living room, completely disregarding my obvious discomfort. It wasn't like I wasn't happy to see her—I was, especially since I didn't think I ever would again. I was just trying very hard to not be aroused by her very presence. Again, I was both stymied and offended by my body's reaction. I was thirty-fucking-one years old. I was way too old to be battling stupid hormones like some zit-faced scrawny teenager.

Figuring a conversation would help distract me further, I finally inquired, "How did you get in here?" It came out sounding much more demanding than I intended, and I cursed under my breath as she whipped around to face me, clearly surprised.

She pointed to the glass doors of the balcony. "It was easy to unlock." It might've just been my imagination, but she sounded a little sheepish, as if ashamed of her breaking and entering.

I followed her finger, frowning as I approached the balcony and looked down the side of the building. We were on the fifth floor, and the outer wall of the hotel was more or less sheer. How the hell did she get up here?

"How…?" I trailed off, realizing that Sango's attention had once again been diverted.

She was running her finger along the scrollwork of the loveseat, looking almost fascinated at the gold-painted frame and the rich, purple velvet cushions. I was amused watching her; it was like she'd never seen a place this nice before. Then it hit me: she probably hadn't. I couldn't imagine the life of a more or less nonexistent assassin afforded very many luxuries.

"It's nice, right?" I said teasingly, taking a brief moment to marvel in the fact that Sango and I were having a civilized conversation, legitimate enough that I felt brave enough to tease her.

Again, she looked back at me sheepishly, withdrawing her finger and curling her hands into self-conscious fists. It was then that I noticed her wrists, covered in thin, but deep cuts and angry red welts.

I went to her, grabbing her arm before she could pull it away and bringing her wrist closer for inspection. "What the hell happened to you?" I asked, grimacing as I took in opaque pieces of ripped up skin barely clinging to her wrists. The cuts looked desperate to scab over, though they were too deep for the process to be quick. They needed to be cleaned in the very least.

Sango tugged on her arm defiantly, blushing under my examination. "It's nothing," she insisted. "Getting out of handcuffs without a key or a pick is kind of hard. I'll get over it."

I shook my head, refusing to let her slip out of my grip, but also being mindful of her injuries. "Come on," I said decisively, leading her back into the bedroom, "These need to be cleaned up."

It was lucky that there was a vanity separate from the bathroom, as Kagome-chan was still soaking in the tub. This was another stroke of luck really, because I wasn't quite sure how I would explain Sango's appearance to her. I turned the water in the sink on to lukewarm, testing it with my own finger first before I subjected her cuts to it. There weren't any disinfectants in the cupboards, but I figured a thorough wash with the regular hand soap was good enough. It did claim to kill ninety-nine point nine percent of germs.

Sango didn't even flinch as I peeled the ripped skin the rest of the way off, though I did my best to swallow my gag. I gently dabbed her wrists and hands dry with a washcloth, never minding as the fluffy white fabric became stained with blood. Thankfully, there were bandages, and I utilized almost the entire box to ensure all her cuts on both wrists were completely covered. I held her arms up to inspect my work.

"Better?" I asked, my gaze rising from her bandaged wrists to meet her own.

She took back her arms, twisting her hands around and examining my work for herself. "Much," she acquiesced dryly. "Though I think you might've overdone it with the band aids."

I shrugged this off; still certain that I'd saved her from a rather nasty infection. We sat in silence for a moment, standing awkwardly in front of the vanity. Sango kept her eyes focused on her hands, though my gaze never wavered from her face. Finally, I felt the question I should've asked long ago bubble up to the surface.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, and at last Sango raised her eyes to meet mine. I pressed forward, "I mean, why did you come here? You know Inuyasha rented this room for us; why come to a place where you could get caught?"

Sango stared up at me for moment, as if testing me to see if I was worthy of an answer.

"Or," I hedged nervously, "Did you just come to finish the job?"

The question startled her and she glared up at me, almost looking offended, before she apparently dismissed it, turning away from me and wandering back into the bedroom. She took a seat on the bed Kagome-chan and Inuyasha shared, hefting herself up to be able to perch on the edge of the oversized mattress. Only the tips of her boots touched the floor.

I followed her, stopping at the foot of the bed warily. Everything that had happened since I first discovered her in the hotel room seemed out of sorts when compared to our previous encounters, including our kiss two nights ago. I was starting to let myself hope that she'd abandoned her contract to kill me, though I was still too cautious to let go of skepticism completely.

Finally, she spoke. "You were right," she admitted, carefully avoiding my gaze and instead focusing intently on the room service phone on the nightstand between the beds.

It wasn't much, but it was something. I braved coming closer, lowering myself to sit beside her on the bed. "I was right about what?"

Sango visibly tensed as the mattress gave a little to my weight, and though her head turned towards me, she still didn't look up. "You were right … about me hating Kumo. Honestly, I was kind of glad I got caught, because I thought I was through with it all."

My brow furrowed. "So why did you escape?"

"My brother," Sango answered diligently, and I was surprised at the immediate response. "He's seven years younger than I am… And we're all we have. But if I stayed there and left him with Naraku, who knows what would've happened to him?"

I let this sink in. She did seem defensive and protective of her brother when she first brought him up in the interrogation room. I wondered if this brother of hers was the missing link I'd been looking for, the reason behind her actions.

She continued, speaking more to herself than to me. "I've got to get him out. I can't take it there anymore." She looked up at me finally, and I was taken aback to see tears lining her eyes. "You were supposed to be my last job. Then Naraku was going to let us go. But I just… I just couldn't take anymore killing and I kept stalling and stalling, and Naraku was getting more and more impatient with me. So, then I figured I would just rather get us out now, than risk the repercussions of not killing the most dangerous threat Kumo's had in almost a decade."

I raised an eyebrow, shamelessly impressed. "_I'm_ the most dangerous threat Kumo's had in ten years? Really?"

Sango gave me an exasperated look. "That's not a good thing," she informed me flatly.

"Sorry," I apologized weakly. Silence fell between us once more as I mulled over the first bit of her confession. I had found it strange that she kept drawing out her appearances; she'd chalked it up to "fun," though when two weeks had passed with no sign, I'd begun to wonder if it wasn't for another reason altogether. My hope that she had reformed her ways had risen exponentially. Though I felt bad for pressing, I was curious to know more.

"If you hated Kumo, why did you work for Naraku? I mean, you were so young… How did you even get involved in the first place?"

A tear escaped down one cheek, though Sango quickly wiped it away and lowered her head again. I suddenly didn't care if her confession to me would end all of my and Sesshomaru-san's problems, I felt horrible for making her cry.

"Sorry," I hastily apologized again. "You don't have to say…"

She shook her head miserably. "It doesn't matter. They're going to make be spill my guts on everything when I turn myself in, so I might as well tell you."

Her statement caught me off-guard—she was planning to turn herself in? When? And what would happen to her brother? I didn't get a chance to ask any of these questions as Sango trudged forward bravely.

"I was eleven. My parents got involved in something bad; I'm not sure what, but I know it directly involved Naraku. He and two other members broke into our apartment one night, intending to kill us all. He got my parents, and he went for Kohaku, my brother next. He was only four at the time, so I'm not sure how much he remembers, but I begged. I cried and begged and pleaded with them to spare at least him.

"Naraku entered the room then. His stooges were just going to kill me to get me to shut up, but apparently Naraku had taken a shine to me. He offered to spare my brother and I, and offer Kohaku protection, but for a price: he wanted to train me to work for him. I didn't want to, but I was desperate. I agreed…"

She trailed off, her eyes looking far away and appearing to be unknowing or at least uncaring of several more tears that had escaped down her face like the first one. Guilt exuded from her heavily, and I wanted to hold her to make it all go away. I at least braved putting a hand on her back and rubbing it comfortingly.

"It wasn't like I didn't know what I was getting into," she whispered remorsefully. "But I couldn't just let Kohaku die… He was all I had left."

She broke down completely then, burying her face in her hands and crying quietly. My hand went from rubbing her back to embracing her shoulders, my other hand coming up to cradle her head to my chest. The image of the confident, hard-edged assassin that I had thought her to be shattered completely as a new image of a protective and loving sister who was just looking out for her little brother formed in my mind. She suddenly struck me as extremely noble and dedicated, and far more brave than I had originally given her credit for.

I looked at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand, my eyebrows raising to find that it was already almost two in the afternoon. Kagome-chan had been in the bath for almost two hours now. I briefly wondered if she'd fallen asleep before I quickly felt extremely grateful that she had felt the need to soak in the tub for so long. It had enabled me to have time with Sango all to myself. My hope that she could escape the hotel room undetected rose a little.

As her cries eventually quieted, I cleared my throat, another question burning on the tip of my tongue.

"Hey," I said quietly, alerting her. She withdrew from my embrace a little bit to be able to look me in the eyes inquiringly. "Can I ask you one more question?"

Sango nodded, pulling the rest of the way out of the embrace and twisting so she could face me better on the bed. I frowned indiscreetly at this; I missed holding her so close to me, though I didn't voice any complaint, instead focusing on my original intent.

"The other night," I started, choosing my words carefully. I was worried if I alluded in any way to our kiss, it might put her out. "When you yelled at me for wondering around town by myself… That wasn't out of any sort of inconvenience I caused you, was it?"

Blushing brilliantly, Sango slowly shook her head, once again looking down at her hands. "I was watching out for you. Naraku's got a couple scouts following me around; to make sure I go through with the contract. If they saw me interacting with you, they would've killed the both of us right then and there."

I stiffened. I was worried that those scouts had seen us kiss, though judging by Sango's dismissal, they didn't seem to be there that night. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Her blush reddening considerably, Sango tucked a lock of hair behind her ear shyly. "And I, um, I-I wanted to thank you actually … f-for the kiss. It was … I guess awesome," she let out a soft chuckle, "Like you said. S-so, thank you…"

Now that was an unexpected yet extremely desirable response. Here I was worrying about making her uncomfortable if I talked about it, but there she went, bringing it up herself. I smirked to myself triumphantly. This girl just may be falling for my irresistible charm yet.

"Yeah?" I verified mischievously, coolly. "I'm glad you think so too."

Startled, she looked back up at me, then pulled her face back in surprise to see how close we were. The tips of our noses were mere centimeters apart. Her lips pushed out into a defensive pout as she scrutinized me.

"Well yeah," she muttered cautiously. "In my line of work that stuff never happens, so it was kind of nice, you know."

She was trying to brush it off as nothing, though she had already slipped up: I caught on to her sincerity long ago. Deciding that she wasn't going to be let off the hook that easy, my fingers came up to her chin, forcing her face closer to mine and making her gaze meet mine. Her eyes widened upon deciphering my intent, though I wasn't about to back down. She unwittingly gave me an opening, and dammit, I was going to take it.

"So, if it happened a second time… What would you think?" My lips brushed against hers briefly before I captured them fully in a fiery kiss. Sango gasped sharply from the sudden contact, and I took the opportunity to slip my tongue in through the opening, forcing her mouth open wider as I reveled in the chance to explore like I wasn't able to the first time.

She tasted so sweet, and as her hands came up to hold either side of my face and pull me in closer I resisted the urge to moan lightly. I had to balance myself on the bed with one hand, though I dragged my free hand up her thigh slowly, kneading the flesh and glorying in the noises she made. My self-control slipped a little and my hand leapt for her ass, cupping it and giving it a slight squeeze…

Sango slapped me, hard and right across the face. I was stunned. One minute, I was enjoying quite a vigorous kiss; the next, my cheek was burning with pain. I stared at her dumbly, cradling the bruised side of my face and looking at her in bafflement. She looked just as surprised as I did, and hurried to apologize.

"S-sorry!" she stammered, placing a hand on my chest. "I was—it's just that… I-I've never … never… And it surprised me, a-and so—" She cut herself off, pushing her lips back to mine and lifting both arms up to wrap around my shoulders.

I suddenly forgot about the stinging pain in my cheek and returned the kiss roughly, once again slipping my tongue in her mouth and letting it roll with hers zealously. This lasted a mere moment, and just as abrupt as her slap, she was slipping away, and for a second I was worried that she was breaking the kiss again. Then I realized that her arms around my shoulders had not loosed their embrace and she was dragging me onto the bed with her, on top of her. Eagerly, I complied, my hand coming up to guide her back gently onto the pillows.

Our kiss soon turned plural and became punctuated with quick, gasping breaths as our moment together prolonged. My hands wandered again, though this time instead of slaps, I was greeted with soft moans of pleasure and encouragement. I felt as her own small hands began feeling around, curious and shy and arousing all at once.

The twisted position I sat in began to wear on me and clumsily, I moved my legs, trying to blindly settle them between hers. She seemed to understand my intention, and helpfully spread her legs to give me room. A thousand devilish ideas suddenly popped in my mind in light of this more intimate position, though I fought to control myself. My struggle to contain myself must've not gotten through to Sango, however, as her hands slid down my sides purposefully and she hooked her index fingers through my belt loops. With a quick tug, my hips roughly collided with hers, causing a low grunt to escape my throat while Sango sighed contentedly.

I broke my lips away from hers, ignoring the small noise of protest as I instead fixated on her neck, sucking, biting, and licking at her pale, soft skin. Sango's hand came up to tangle in my hair, pressing me closer while the other wrapped around my shoulder and grabbed a fistful of my shirt. She started squirming underneath me, intentionally or unintentionally I didn't know, but it didn't help my current state of affairs any.

I grunted again and pushed my hips down on hers, and for the first time we both became aware of our arousals. Sango groaned at the sensation and, encouraged, I built up a steady rhythm, almost forgetting our clothes were still on as I worked my hips against hers. Slowly, almost shyly, she bucked her own hips upwards, meeting my rhythm as I slammed mine down. Groaning, I bit down harder than intended on her neck, quickly massaging the mark with my tongue as she let out a soft gasp in pain.

I had completely forgotten myself now, and my hand started wandering more fervently before, slipping over her breasts before dipping to the cut-off hem of her tube top and slipping my fingers across the soft, hidden skin. Delighting in the burst of warm goose bumps rippling across her stomach at my touch I pushed higher, my fingertips brushing the underside of one of her breasts. It was almost disheartening to realize that despite the sleeveless nature of her shirt, she was indeed wearing a bra, though it didn't stop me from cupping the mound and massaging it gently.

Sango moaned, long, drawn-out and throaty, and with that single moan I became fed up with foreplay. I worked my hand back out from under her shirt, trailing back over her flat, toned stomach until I reached the waistline of her black leather pants. Practiced hands thumbed the button through the hole expertly without needing to see, and I had just grabbed her zipper when I heard a choked gasp sound from behind me.

I stopped kissing Sango's neck, though I didn't back completely away, and I could feel as my shallow breathing warmed her skin. Sango had tensed as well, and we stayed more or less frozen in our embrace. I didn't need to pull away to know who had gasped so terrifyingly anyway. It could only be one person.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?" Kagome-chan demanded shakily. From the sound of it, she'd just barely walked out of the bathroom and happened upon us, completely confused and startled as to why I was currently dry-humping the very person out to kill us. We must have been quite a sight.

Watching her neck move as Sango swallowed hard, I mulled over the possible excuses I could give. I supposed I couldn't use "she's not who you think she is!" as Kagome-chan had already gotten more than a good look at Sango and could've recognized her anywhere. That left me with the highly complicated truth, which, given my current state of fighting to get the blood rushing back to my head instead of lower parts, I didn't particularly have the patience for.

Slowly Sango and I disentangled ourselves and I stood up from the bed while Sango remained sitting, bowing her head and hiding behind the long curtain of her hair. I watched Kagome-chan's eyes flick downwards momentarily before the squeezed them shut quickly, and groaning in disgust. I followed her gaze, huffing at her unexpected immaturity when I realized what had grossed her out. It was like she had never seen a boner before.

"Listen, Kagome-chan," I explained carefully, putting my hands up to affirm my innocence. "This isn't what you think."

She scoffed disbelievingly. "Really?" she snapped, "Tell me, how is it not what I think? Because, from the looks of things, I think it's _exactly_ what I think!"

"Hey!" I shot back irritably. "I know I may not be the most virtuous guy around, but you and I both know I would never do something like that!"

"So why are you doing something like that?" Kagome-chan was almost in my face now, looking desperate and angry for clarification all at once.

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "I wasn't! Maybe if you would just listen to me—"

"I am listening! And from what I'm hearing it sounds like complete and utter bullshit if you ask me!"

Growling in frustration I turned back to the bed, urging Sango to help me out when I paused. She was gone. Kagome-chan followed my gaze and gasped sharply upon seeing the now vacant bed, and she glanced around the room nervously.

"Where'd she go?" she asked, withdrawing into the comfort of the fluffy white robe bearing the hotel insignia she wore.

"I don't—" I was interrupted again as Sango reappeared, right behind Kagome-chan. Before she could react, Sango restrained her arms behind her roughly, grabbing a fistful of her hair and forcing her head to tilt back so she could look her in the eye.

"Sango!" I protested, though both women currently ignored me, entirely preoccupied on each other.

Kagome-chan's eyes were wide with fright as she looked at Sango, terrified of what she might do.

"Why don't you just shut up and listen for once, okay?" Sango sneered, putting her mouth close to Kagome-chan's ear and speaking in a dangerously low voice. "I'm getting real tired of your holier-than-thou bullshit, and if you keep it up, I may just rethink myself and kill you right now."

Maybe thinking she was a completely changed person already was a bit premature.

"Sango," I repeated, edging closer to the two girls, displaying my hands cooperatively, "Just let her go. She's just being ignorant, it's alright. We all know why she was upset right?"

Both girls glared at me, not amused with my attempts at persuading them to calm down. I dropped my hands, feeling foolish for trying to reason with temperamental women. This was obviously over my head.

Finally, Kagome-chan worked up the nerve to speak for herself. "A-alright," she agreed, closing her eyes and wincing as she tried to move her head away only to have her hair pulled for her effort. "I'm listening, just please, let me go."

Begrudgingly, Sango obliged, shoving Kagome-chan back to her feet perhaps a bit rougher than necessary. Wincing again, Kagome-chan rubbed the back of her head where Sango had her by the hair, looking nervously from me to Sango.

"Alright," she said again, much more calmly this time. "What's going on here?"

"Well," I began, sighing heavily and trying to condense the story in my head while I told it, "For starters, I think the most important thing to get out here is that Sango's not going to kill us."

Understandably, Kagome-chan didn't look convinced; Sango's recent threat was still fresh in her mind. She looked at the reformed assassin warily. "Really?"

Sighing, Sango held up her hands in a more or less friendly gesture. "Really. I'm getting out of the game."

Kagome-chan looked back to me. "What does she mean?"

I turned to Sango before I answered, waiting for her go-ahead. "You and I were supposed to be her last job before Ueno Naraku let her quit. She was blackmailed into working for Kumo; she's been stalling all this time because she's sick of doing his bidding."

"Blackmailed?" Kagome-chan's eyebrow creased in curiosity.

I shrugged her off, not particularly wanting to go into the highly personal story of Sango's brother, Kohaku. "It's a long story, not important. What matters is that Sango is on our side. She's going to help us." I looked back at Sango for verification.

Sango nodded, folding her arms resolutely. "Anything to set the record straight. And to get the police off my back."

"Hold on a second," Kagome-chan said thoughtfully, "Just how are we going to get Yamaguchi-san to hear her out? Knowing him, he'll probably lock her up and throw away the key the second she turns herself in."

Sango and I exchanged a look; we hadn't thought it out that far yet. We got preoccupied by … other things. Then something occurred to me and I turned back to Kagome-chan, eyes alight with an idea.

Kagome-chan looked nervous at my look. "What?" she hedged apprehensively.

"Inuyasha," I declared decisively. "We're going to Inuyasha first."

"What?" Kagome-chan's eyes bugged. "No way! There's no way he'd believe us!" I could understand her doubt; she was still having a hard time herself trying to wrap her head around everything.

"Yes he will," I insisted, remembering his curious and bemused look in Sesshomaru-san's office after watching the recording of Sango and I in the interrogation room. "He just needs the right person telling him things." I gave Kagome-chan a pointed smile.

Again, she balked. "No, no, _no way!_" She looked from me to Sango desperately. "Come on, guys," she pleaded, "I don't even know what I could say to… I just—can't one of you…?" She trailed off helplessly as she took in our determined looks. Even she understood that she was our best option.

As if on cue, the three of us listened as the keycard slid into the hotel room's lock. Inuyasha had returned. Sango and I turned back to Kagome-chan, ushering her forward. She still seemed reluctant, but allowed her to be shepherded into the living area of the room where the door was.

"Do your best, Kagome-chan," I whispered supportively as I slipped back through the dividing French doors. "We'll be right in here."

The door opened finally opened and Sango and I peeked around the corner to watch as Kagome-chan began to explain to the best of her abilities just what had happened since Inuyasha left this morning.

* * *

It look a little longer than I thought it would to convince Inuyasha, however, I knew that convincing his older brother would take an even bigger amount of skill and time. And it seemed like having Kagome-chan explain the ordeal had softened the blow like I'd hoped, though Inuyasha remained angry at being kept in the dark for so long. Most importantly, he agreed to help us persuade Sesshomaru-san to join our side as well.

After all was said and done, I found Sango sitting on one of the plush couches in the living room, once again tracing her finger along the designs in the frame. We'd given ourselves until morning to prepare our story for the chief of police, as surely Sesshomaru-san would need a bigger and more thorough explanation than what was needed to convince Kagome-chan and Inuyasha. It seemed like we could finally have a moment to relax, though something still seemed to be bothering Sango.

"Hey," I said quietly, alerting her to my presence. I sat next to her on the couch. "How are you holding up?"

She shrugged limply. "I dunno. Okay, I guess."

My brow creased at her tired and withdrawn demeanor. "What's the matter?" I pressed.

Shaking her head, Sango gave a great sigh. "It's nothing really, it's just… It's strange, to finally have an end in sight, you know?"

I nodded, though I knew that we both knew that Sango's end involved a hefty prison sentence, no matter how much information she surrendered. "Are you … doing alright with it?" I asked, knowing that she'd understand what I meant.

She nodded assuredly. "Yes. I'm just worried about Kohaku." She looked at me sadly. "I can't protect him from jail."

"Maybe not," I agreed solemnly, "But I can." Sango looked at me strangely, almost unwilling to believe what I was offering.

"Tsujitani…" she muttered, and I chuckled at her insistence on addressing me by my last name, even after our little session earlier this afternoon.

"Just Miroku, please," I told her, wrapping my arm around her and sliding her closer to me. She came willingly, and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Alright, Just Miroku," she said teasingly, stifling a yawn. "I hope you don't mind if I fall asleep on you."

I chuckled again, trying not to disturb her too much as I settled into the couch. "Not at all," I assured her, though her breathing had already deepened and evened out, signaling the beginnings of slumber. I kissed her forehead. "Stay as long as you like."


	15. Chapter Fourteen: September 17th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Chapter Fourteen: September 17th**

Anxiousness had overtaken the police station. Really, I supposed it had never left since Sango's escape, but if her willing return, submission, and confession had been thought to lower the tension, they now proved to be very misleading. In the short day-and-a-half that had passed since we'd brought Sango back in to talk to Sesshomaru-san, so much yelling, accusing, and persuading had happened that it isn't worth mentioning. Suffice to say, after many discussions, as a group and individually, the chief of police finally came around and made a bargain with Sango.

That isn't to say, however, that Sesshomaru-san had taken an eventual shine to Sango, as Kagome-chan surprisingly had. While Kagome-chan worked up the bravery to sit by her and talk with her, Sesshomaru-san demanded that she remained in cuffs at all times and under strict appointed supervision when he couldn't be around. I hardly got a chance alone with her myself, therefore leaving me in the dark about an uncomfortable number of things.

I wasn't the only one unawares. It seems that Sesshomaru-san only let the details of the bargain be known by himself, Inuyasha and Sango. Curiosity burned inside indignantly and I had taken to snooping around again, spying in vain for that one moment when they would carelessly leave her by herself again. Eventually they were going to put their plan into action, and after that my only opportunity to talk with Sango would be through a double-paned window with a telephone. I had to talk to her before then.

Inuyasha was with her, standing dutifully by the chair that she sat in while she leaned forward, bowing her head and folding her hands as if she was praying, the restricting glint of the handcuffs dangled between her still-bandaged wrists. I wasn't quite sure what Inuyasha thought of Sango; he seemed to believe her story enough to bring her back to Sesshomaru-san and support her claims, though overall his demeanor towards her was too indifferent to be sure of anything. From my place peeking my head around the corner hallway, I tried to discern any semblance of a conversation forming between the too. I vaguely wondered if my desire that she formed relationships with the people I was close to was strange in any way.

However, when Inuyasha finally did speak, it wasn't directed at Sango. "Oi, Miroku," he called over to me flatly, "Why don't you stop being an idiot and come over here already?"

Sheepishly, I stepped all the way into the connecting hallway where Inuyasha sat with Sango. "Hey," I greeted, scratching the back of my head lamely.

Sango raised her head as I approached. "Hi. Long time no see."

I grinned, immediately put at ease by her subtle, yet encouraging smile. This girl would be the death of me, I was sure of at least that by now. "I've been worried about you," I informed her shamelessly, while Inuyasha scoffed and rolled his eyes. I wondered just how much Kagome-chan had informed him of her discovery of Sango in our hotel room the other day.

Shrugging me off, Sango raised her hands, displaying her handcuffs perfectly. "Don't worry; I'm not going anywhere this time. I promise."

"No," I shook my head, my brow creasing in concern. "Not about that. I mean, nobody's told me anything and I don't know what'll happen to you."

Sango bit her lip, her cheeks flushing a little with a warm blush. She glanced up at Inuyasha, gaging him for a response. Cocking an eyebrow he stared down at her for a moment before glaring at me. I squirmed a little under his gaze, unsure of what he was thinking. Finally he rolled his eyes again and nodded once, folding his arms.

"We're going to Kumo's headquarters in an hour and a half," he revealed gruffly. "We just need a few more things in order and we're heading out."

My eyes widened. That soon? I turned back to Sango, who once again bowed her head almost regretfully.

"Sorry," she mumbled, keeping her head lowered and avoiding anyone's gaze. "I wish I could've said something, but…" she trailed off, her head gesturing vaguely in Inuyasha's direction.

"Sesshomaru's got an official mum on everything involving her," Inuyasha explained, shifting around in his post by Sango's side and refolding his arms. He gave me a queer look. "But something tells me you're going to try and worm your way in."

I straightened up. "Damn right I am," I declared, ignoring as Sango raised her eyes to me, clearly startled and objecting. "Where is Sesshomaru-san? I want to talk to him right now."

"Well, then," a cold, even voice said behind me. "Lucky for you I just got back."

I turned, trying to maintain my bolstering stance in the face of the chief of police's domineering presence. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Inuyasha took ahold of Sango's upper arm, pulling her to her feet in a much gentler manner than the night he'd first arrested her. By all accounts, it appeared as though they were moving into the final phase of preparations before infiltrating the Kumo conglomerate.

Sesshomaru-san's tolerance with me had long since been sent, and honestly, there was no reason even I could think of to talk my way into coming along. Not even dirty politics could help me now.

"What did you want, Tsujitani?" Sesshomaru-san demanded irritably.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. It may have been childish, but I did not want to be made a coward or a fool in front of Sango. I had to proceed very carefully to save face with Sesshomaru-san.

"I want to talk with you," I said resolutely, folding my arms and trying to use my own height to add an edge to my presence as well.

Sesshomaru-san rolled his eyes and sighed impatiently. "Yes, I heard that bit. Talk about what?"

I hesitated unwillingly, my progress stunted a little by his brusque demeanor. "I, uh…" I cleared my throat again, trying to summon what little command I had gathered. "You're going to Kumo tonight."

Inuyasha groaned lowly behind me; it seemed he would've preferred that I not jump to the chase like that. Sesshomaru-san cut him an angry, narrowed-eyed glare, all too knowing of just who could've informed me of that bit of top-secret information. He ignored Sango altogether as he turned back to me.

"I should've figured you would find out," he said testily, "I thought we agreed your snooping about would end." It was clear he was aware that my extra knowledge was not the result of any spying on my end and rather his younger brother, though he seemed to appreciate the brief moment to chastise me regardless.

Apparently not learning my lesson, I decided on getting straight to the point once more. "I want to go with you," I insisted decisively, folding my arms and squaring my shoulders.

"Absolutely not." His words almost overtook mine in their abrupt denial. I frowned. This was where fighting him would become very difficult. I had no ground to stand on.

There was a dense moment of silence as we stared at each other, and I could feel my already shaky bravado begin to crack under his intense gaze. I was drawing a complete and utter blank. My lifelong gift of a silver tongue and quick wit had suddenly abandoned me. I had nothing; there really was no reason for me to be allowed to go, no way I could weasel my way in. Still, as I was damned either way, I decided to trudge on.

"I-I…" My voice cracked as it came out unexpectedly soft and mild. I cleared my throat a third time and tried again. "I _need_ to go." Yes, apparently begging had entered my repertoire.

Though his face didn't flinch from his imposingly blank stare, Sesshomaru-san sounded slightly amused as he said, "Do you now? And why's that?"

There was a small noise from beside Inuyasha, grabbing everybody's attention as we turned towards the source.

"Miroku knows was Haku looks like," Sango piped up. Even though her voice was small and neutral she still sounded braver than I had pretended to be. "In case I can't get through to you, through the wires or mics or whatever. Miroku could identify him for you."

Sesshomaru-san blinked once, slowly, clearly incensed. "Excuse me?"

"Kobayashi Hakudoshi," Sango clarified patiently. "He's the one who first came to Miroku on Kumo's behalf and the one who planted the bomb in the entryway of his building."

"Tsujitani and Yoshida had already provided a thorough description of what this Kobayashi looks like," Sesshomaru-san brushed her off, seeming almost offended that she even dared to address him directly. "I'm sure we'll be able to—"

"He also knows what my brother looks like," Sango cut in quickly, almost desperately. I did my best to stifle my amazement. She hadn't led on to it, but it now appeared that she was just as insistent as I was that I be there. She was willing to resort to flat-out lies; I had never seen her brother before, and my helpfulness in identifying him would be nonexistent.

"Please," Sango continued resolutely, "Hold up your end of the bargain. You promised you'd get him out. If I can't be there to get him, somebody has to be there in my place." She nodded to me. "That person is Miroku."

Sesshomaru-san looked back to me, scrutinizing me as I hung my head, hoping I looked the right amounts of guilty and knowledgeable. I shrugged affirmatively for extra effect.

Sighing bitterly, Sesshomaru-san pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Sango and I exchanged a hopeful look. Had we actually managed to crack him?

"I've had more than enough of you," he informed me, glaring passed his hand at me. I met his stern gaze, as if to tell him the feeling was mutual.

He checked his watch, then signaled vaguely at the two officers now coming up the hallway behind him, Koga and Shintaro. "Do whatever you want to do," the chief continued, addressing me even as he turned his back to face Koga. He nodded once towards Inuyasha. "Looks like you've got another ward that needs watching."

Inuyasha glared at me, though I only gave him an impish grin. While I was mildly concerned by a chief of police who would so willingly wash his hands of anything that directly caused him any trouble, I was more focused on reveling in my rather easily-won victory.

"We've wasted too much time," Sesshomaru-san was informing Koga before he turned to Shintaro. "Have you taken care of Higurashi?"

"Yes sir," Shintaro answered obediently, nodding his head once. "I've put her in a cab with strict instructions to go straight home."

"Yes, yes," Sesshomaru-san waved off his unnecessary explanation impatiently, "Just as long as she's out of the way."

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Inuyasha tensed angrily at his brother's careless dismissal of his … whatever they were to each other. I wondered if Kagome-chan and Inuyasha were still young enough to care about the "official" statuses of relationships.

Sesshomaru-san was still addressing the three officers. "Take her and get her wired," he instructed Inuyasha, pointing an offensive finger as Sango. "I want it all; camera, microphone, recorder, ear piece. You got that?"

"I got it." Inuyasha took ahold of Sango's arm again, leading her down the hall until they turned a corner and disappeared in an adjacent corridor. I stared after them for some time after they left, fully conscious of the nervous pit forming in my stomach for Sango's sake.

"Koga, I want you to make sure every officer on the infiltration squad is radioed and carrying GPS markers. No exceptions." Sesshomaru-san continued barking orders. "Channel two, understood?"

"Yes sir." I turned to watch Koga run back down the hallway the way he came.

Sesshomaru-san turned to the last officer remaining with us. "Shintaro, pull the surveillance van out of the garage. Make sure the tank is full and that Koga syncs the equipment with the officers' radios and GPS." Shintaro nodded and started down the hallway before the chief called him back.

"Take him with you," he ordered the young officer, jabbing his thumb back at me. "Make sure he doesn't touch anything." Again, Shintaro nodded and waited by for me to catch up with him, slightly confused as to why a civilian would be allowed to tag along on a covert mission.

I started to jog to meet up with Shintaro, but Sesshomaru-san called out one last time, causing me to turn in mid-step.

"You," he growled, addressing me like just another lowly officer under his command, "Don't move, don't speak; if I even so much as hear to breath too heavily, I'll kick you out of the van and leave you at Naraku's mercy, do you understand me?"

I swallowed the urge to salute him mockingly, opting for a simple nod instead as I continued following after Shintaro.

* * *

Four of us sat in the surveillance van parked three blocks down from where Sango had directed us: Sesshomaru-san, Inuyasha, Sango herself, and me. I was forced to sit in the farthest corner, out of the way and given strict instructions yet again to keep my hands to myself and my mouth shut. Though I felt like a spoiled kid in time-out, I obeyed, trying to make myself feel gratitude instead, for being allowed to tag along. Sesshomaru-san was giving Sango final instructions before turning to Inuyasha and falling into a more or less private conversation about the latter's role in the mission tonight.

I stared at the grated van floor, unsure of the myriad emotions thrashing around in my skull. Suddenly, I regretted fighting to be able to come along; I had no idea what would happen tonight, and more specifically, I had no idea what would happen to Sango. The worry I felt for her was very uncomfortable and I did my best not to think about it. Still, it didn't stop images flashing before my eyes of a cruel looking man I'd imagined to be Naraku, pointing a gun between Sango's eyes and pulling the trigger.

The small, thinly cushioned bench I was seated on creaked slightly and I involuntarily tensed, ready for another unnecessary reprimand from the chief of police. I looked up, momentarily surprised to see Sango sitting next to me, watching me with a curious, yet smug smile.

"Hi," she greeted softly, and I was actually taken aback by the coyness in her voice. We'd kissed twice, even dry humped, yet she had never intentionally flirted with me before.

"Hello," I responded awkwardly, cursing my sudden wariness of her. What the fuck was wrong with me?

Sango didn't seem to notice my uneasy behavior and settled into the bench beside me, slouching against the wall of the van and folding her hands between her knees. "I'm just killing time until those two are done talking," she explained, bouncing one of her legs restlessly. "I hate anticipation."

"Me too." Again, my response was childish and provoked another string of self-cursing. I tried again. "I guess you're ready then?" There, that wasn't so bad, was it?

She nodded blandly, "Yep, just waiting on the go-ahead." She sighed heavily and sank even further into her slouch. "I am just so ready to be rid of Kumo and Naraku once and for all."

It was my turn to nod in agreement. Even though I had never crossed paths with Naraku, I was also very fed up with this "criminal underworld's most wanted" role I had unwillingly taken upon me. I studied Sango for a moment, unabashed and uncaring if she felt uncomfortable under my scrutiny. Finally, she rolled her head over to me and for a short while we simply stared at each other in silence.

At last, Sango spoke, "You know, a picture lasts longer." Her words were sarcastic, but they held no real bite to them.

I allowed myself to crack a small grin. "It also says a thousand words."

She cocked an amused eyebrow before facing forward again and closing her eyes, the smug and coy smile never leaving her face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried about me, Tsujitani."

My small grin faded slightly. "I thought we were passed the last name basis, Mizushima," I replied sardonically.

Cracking one eye open and looking at me through the corner of it, Sango's smile faltered some as well. "Maybe we are," she acquiesced, "Though I don't think now is the proper time to discuss our relationship."

"No," I agreed mildly, though on the inside I was burning with offense and curiosity. Personally, I didn't think it there could've been a better moment than the present to discuss our relationship, if we even had one. I didn't know how often of a chance I'd have to talk with her if everything went down as planned tonight at Kumo, and talking about such a topic while under strict observation by an armed guard didn't exactly strike me as appealing.

"Alright!" Sesshomaru-san suddenly barked from towards the front of the van. "It's time. Let's get this over with."

Obediently, Sango moved to sit next to Inuyasha as he pointed out the small array of surveillance equipment built into the far side of the van.

"Your camera will transfer to this monitor," he explained, gesturing at the miniscule lens woven into the specially designed V-neck collar of Sango's T-shirt. "It's pretty high resolution, but it's still a small lens, so make sure you point it at something worthwhile, got it?"

Nodding astutely, Sango confirmed, "Got it."

Inuyasha nodded as well, satisfied with her professionalism despite her age. He seemed to appreciate her obvious skill enough to overlook what she'd utilized it for in the past.

"Now the recorder is trickier," he continued, pointing to a small speaker next to the monitor, "It's got to be able to pick up whatever is said through fabric, so try to stand as still as possible to avoid too much rustling."

Again, Sango gave a short nod. "Got it," she repeated, her hand ghosting over her side, where I assumed they'd taped the recording device underneath her shirt.

Inuyasha smirked approvingly. "And just to recap, your ear piece will pick up anything we need to say to you." His eyebrow raised slightly in mild amusement as Sango dutifully tapped her ear piece hidden by the longer locks of her bangs to show she understood. He placed his hand on the sliding door's latch. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Sango replied affirmatively. She climbed down gracefully from the van as Inuyasha slid the door open for her, and I leaned as far forward as I could, intent on capturing every last glimpse of her that I could before the Inuyasha yanked the door closed again. He locked it, and I sat back and stewed quietly. From my assigned seat in the back of the van, I didn't have a good view of the monitor to see what Sango saw, and from here on out I would be largely in the dark of the goings on in Kumo's headquarters.

There was a fairly lengthy pause between Sesshomaru-san and Inuyasha, and I guessed they were waiting for Sango to make it a reasonable distance away from the van to try to contact her.

Finally, Sesshomaru-san pressed the mic and spoke into the speaker. "Mizushima, can you hear me?"

There was a short buzz while we waited for a response, then, "Loud and clear, Chief," came Sango's reply, her voice slightly warped by the crackle of the recorder taped under her shirt.

"Verify your location," Sesshomaru-san demanded.

"Like I said, we're about three blocks away from Kumo's main building. Sorry, Chief, but I can't fill you in from here on out. Naraku's got sentries posted everywhere; I'd look too suspicious talking to myself."

Inuyasha leaned back, ready to relax and just wait until Sango reached the main building. With him leaning out of the way, I was able to snag a glimpse at the monitor displaying Sango's surroundings. The street she was walking down was bathed in the last light of the day, and I could even make out her shadow stretched on the ground before her as the sun set behind her. Inuyasha had been right; the camera was high resolution.

The tension in the van, despite Inuyasha's willingness to accept the moment as relaxation time, was thick and heavy. I was torn between being grateful that I could still hear her voice through the speaker and wishing that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san had headphones to block me out entirely. All of the discrepancies in Sango's behavior since our very first meeting came flooding back at me inopportunely, and I sat unnoticed on the pitiful bench in the back of the van, squirming and fidgeting uncomfortably. I felt sick and obsessed, and again I was overcome with the regret I'd felt earlier in fighting my way to be allowed to come.

While Sesshomaru-san and Inuyasha seemed content enough to just wait out the tension until Sango arrived at her destination, I fought silently with my body and mind, willing them to calm down and wishing for that numbness I'd felt over a month ago when this whole ordeal first started. The sound of Sango's muffled footsteps down the pavement emanated from the speaker, only loud enough to sound like the first few drops of rain. Even so, they thundered in my ears, and I began to register how hyper-aware of Sango I was. I wondered what the fuck was wrong with me again.

After what felt like eternity, Sango's voice came back through the speaker, sounding hushed and low to avoid being overheard by some unknown potential threat.

"We're here. Brace yourselves." She sounded mildly overwhelmed and my heart ached for her uncontrollably, though her voice had triggered something inside me that instantly put me oddly at ease. Suddenly I was able to sit still and simply listen as the inevitable saga unfolded.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san sat at full alert as the sound of a door creaking took the place of Sango's voice. I was overcome by curiosity and I dared to stand, peering over the officers' shoulders to witness what was happening on the monitor.

Sango stepped fully into the building, taking up a brisk walk through a peculiarly unmanned lobby and pushing open yet another door. I held my breath, though it came out in a rush as I beheld the room now displayed on the ten-square-inch monitor. It was surprisingly normal, almost business-like in its layout, looking very much like one of the conference rooms back in my own building. The long, sturdily-built table was laid out vertically in the room, both sides filled with chairs though less than half currently had somebody sitting in them. My eyes were drawn to the farthest end of the table, directly across from where Sango stood, at the figure sitting in lone chair occupying that end.

Even through the small monitor, he looked highly imposing, his skin pale and his hair long, unruly, and black as pitch. Though he was sitting he still looked to be very tall, and his shoulders were broad and squared haughtily. His eyes were too far away to be discernible, though I felt as though he was staring right through Sango's hidden camera and directly at the three of us in the van as he watched her enter the room with interest. I felt certain this man was Ueno Naraku.

There was fuzzy silence from Sango's recorder as Naraku and his henchman simply stared at her. I noticed that the first two seats on either side of Naraku were left empty, whether out of respect or fear I wasn't sure. After the empty chairs, there sat two men on his left and three on his right. I remembered Inuyasha's prior report of there only being five or six main members of Kumo conglomerate, and I was highly impressed that we'd apparently managed to catch them all there in a single night. They must've been holding a meeting of some sort; counting up this month's To Kill list or restocking the weapon inventory or whatever mercenaries and hit-men held meetings about.

Finally, Naraku spoke, and his voice chilled me to the bone and filled me with an instant hatred.

"My dear Sango, how nice it is to see you looking so well. I trust those awful policemen didn't cause you too much trouble?"

His words and tone were sickeningly parental, and he spoke to Sango as if she were his own flesh-and-blood daughter. Even so, there was no missing the sinister depths his deep voice held. Adopted daughter or not, something told me that this man would not hesitate to kill Sango with his bare hands if she even stepped one toe out of line. My heart clenched painfully again.

Sango replied, and even though there was no trace of fear or intimidation present, I still felt petrified for her. "Not at all," she boasted confidently. "I was able to escape so easily, it's almost pathetic."

Sesshomaru-san snorted an irritated puff of air through his nose shortly, clearly miffed at Sango's bragging, no matter if it was all for show.

The shadowing on Naraku's face changed slightly, and I realized he was smiling at Sango favorably, another move that made me shudder involuntarily. "That's my girl," he said dotingly, standing from the table and slowly making his way towards her. My stomach dropped a little, almost as if I was afraid he was going to faze right through the monitor and come straight for me.

"Although," he continued, his words sounding more and more sinister and less fatherly as he went on, "I am surprised that it took you three days to return to us. Surely you must've realized the worry you caused around here." He stopped suddenly, just behind the last man on his right. He looked down at him, though the man refused to meet his gaze. "Isn't that right, Muso?"

The man Naraku identified as Muso cleared his throat gruffly. "You'd do well to not stir up any trouble, Sango," he chastised her vaguely, keeping his eyes downward.

Sango snorted. "Thanks for the advice, Muso-senpai," she rebuffed coolly. "Is that coming from personal experience?"

Incensed, Muso scowled at Sango, for the first time giving us in the van a clear view of his face. It was horribly burned, the remaining scars almost rendering him faceless in their wake; even his nose was corroded away. I wondered how he was even breathing, let alone speaking.

"Know your place, bitch!" Muso roared, angrily, pushing himself to stand as if to charge her. Naraku placed a hand on his shoulder, halting him instantly and forced him to sit once again.

"Come, Muso, certainly you must agree with her? We're all quite aware of your own disobediences, aren't we?" He cast an eye around the remaining men at the table while running his index finger pointedly over the scarred side of Muso's face. Muso fell back into silence, lowering his head and eyes once more.

Naraku resumed walking towards Sango again, and the view of the monitor shifted slightly as she turned to face him fully. He stopped just in front of her, his chest filling the screen and rendering us blind to the rest of the room behind him. When he spoke again, his voice was almost thunderous with proximity and I found myself wishing he'd remained in his seat at the far end of the table.

"Though," he said, sounding cruelly indulgent, "Muso does bring up an interesting point. You should know better than to cause me trouble like that. I trust you also know what's in order?"

The camera shifted again, and I could tell that Sango was straightening her posture impressively, ready for whatever Naraku was insinuating.

"Yes," Naraku continued thoughtfully, "Perhaps a mild punishment will set you straight."

There was a brief shifting movement again, then suddenly the view through the monitor was jostled forcefully, accompanied by a horrible sounding smash as Naraku dealt his blow. Sango had been knocked to the floor, the darkened camera lens verified as much, though she didn't utter a single noise or shriek of pain. I tensed, almost pitching myself forward with the urge to rush to her aid, never minding the fact that I was an entire street and then some from her actual position. Sesshomaru-san and Inuyasha both leaned forward intently in their seats, and Inuyasha grabbed for the mic.

"You have to get up, Sango!" he encouraged roughly, "We need a visual on this bastard!"

Finally, Sango grunted softly, pushing herself to her feet and trying to point the hidden camera back on Naraku. I wondered how badly he'd hurt her; I didn't put it passed him to be able to inflict such terrible scars as Muso's with just his fists rather than fire.

"Forgive me, Naraku," Sango mumbled, fighting to keep her voice mild, "I had to lay low for a while, they had officers combing through every inch of the street looking for me."

"I'll not tolerate excuses!" Naraku spat, his voice so demonic that I almost missed the sickening-sweet quality from before. "I've had more than enough of your fooling around! To think this was to be your last mission." He scoffed in disappointment, and started walking back to his seat when Sango called out boldly.

"I had every intention of fulfilling my contract!" she insisted, and for a moment she sounded so convincing that I was almost hurt. "If Tsujitani hadn't been wandering around like an idiot out in the open, I would've—"

"From what Hakudoshi tells me," Naraku interrupted, raising his already loud voice to be heard over Sango's, "I'm not entirely certain I can believe you anymore, Sango." He resumed his place at the front of the table once more, folding his fingers and resting his elbows on the dark-stained wood. "And it is a pity. I wonder what poor Kohaku would have to say about this…"

"Haku doesn't know shit!" Sango didn't miss a beat, though I was pretty sure I wasn't the only one that heard the strain in her voice at the mention of her brother. "He's the one who made this into a bigger mess than it needed to be, remember?"

Sesshomaru-san grabbed the mic from Inuyasha, bringing it close to his lips as he hissed, "Calm down, Mizushima! You're going to give us away!"

Sango stopped protesting, though from Sesshomaru-san's warning or from Naraku's gesturing at something just out of the camera's view I wasn't sure.

"Perhaps," Naraku acquiesced, an evil sneer curling at his lips, "But I believe he's found a way to redeem himself." Again, he swept his hand over to something off screen, though this time, Sango turned her body—and the camera—to follow him.

Kobayashi Hakudoshi stepped into view, and an icy sweat began instantly trickling down my spine. He was dragging a bound and gagged Kagome-chan in the room with him.

Inuyasha was on his feet in under a second. "Shit!" he cursed, "Fuck! Sesshomaru, we gotta move now!"

Sesshomaru-san snapped at his brother to calm down. "Control yourself, Inuyasha," he reprimanded coldly, "Everything is still under control."

"Bullshit it's under control!" Inuyasha retorted. "He's got Kagome!"

Ignoring him, Sesshomaru-san reached for the radio attached to the dash. "Shintaro," he said into it, sounding remarkably calm in the face of this unexpected kidnapping, and waited for the young officer's reply.

There was a beep on the other end, signaling Shintaro's pushing the microphone button down. "Yes, sir?"

"I thought you said Higurashi had been sent in a cab straight home."

Shintaro sounded confused and uneasy. "Yes, sir. I saw her to the cab myself."

Again, Sesshomaru-san sounded eerily flippant. "And did you care to take notice of who was driving that cab?"

"Uh… No, sir. The dividing glass between the front and back seats was tinted."

"So then that must explain why she's currently in the hands of one of Naraku's henchmen, mustn't it?"

The other line was dead as I presumed Shintaro went into a state of dumb shock as he let the chief's news sink in. Inuyasha remained standing, his posture slightly hunched due to the van's low roof. His fists clenched and unclenched as he watched his brother angrily as the latter turned back to the monitor and pressed the microphone connected to Sango's ear piece.

"Mizushima, remain calm, and don't move until ordered. Everything is under control. Play it safe for Higurashi's sake."

Sango cleared her throat. "How is kidnapping her redeeming?" she asked, her tone remarkably controlled. "You should've gone after Tsujitani."

Hakudoshi-san sneered at Sango. "Easy for you to say. After sneaking into his hotel room, bringing him here should've been a snap. And yet you turn up empty-handed."

I choked, ignoring the scowl Sesshomaru-san fed me for interrupting them. Remembering Sango's confession about having scouts following her, I supposed it shouldn't have shocked me to realize that someone had known that she'd snuck back to see me. It was just extra disheartening to learn that someone had been Hakudoshi-san.

For the first time, Sango faltered. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to recover quickly, yet there was no denying that everyone had heard her little slip up.

"I thought I told you I wouldn't tolerate excuses," Naraku cut in venomously. "And I've had enough of your lying and betrayal."

"So kill me," Sango retorted hotly. Sesshomaru-san huffed impatiently. It was obvious that this night was not playing out how he'd intended. I wondered why he didn't call in the troops now.

Sango continued, "Aren't you all about weeding out the weak? Ridding yourself of unnecessary risks? I mean, that's why you went to Tsujitani in the first place, isn't it?"

Naraku tilted his head in gross amusement. "Perhaps you're right, my dear Sango. But by now you should also know that I rather enjoy causing the most pain I can." He glanced over at Hakudoshi-san, who pushed the barrel of a gun into Kagome-chan's side roughly. Her fear was palpable even three blocks away in this Godforsaken van, though Naraku stalled his trigger finger with the wave of his hand.

"No, no. The girl and Sango hardly know each other." He turned to Sango, the look on his face looking nothing short of malicious as he finished, "Your dear younger brother though… Well he's all alone now isn't he? Waiting for his big, brave sister to come home and bring with her his freedom." Shaking his head, Naraku let out a wicked chuckle. "Now that would be painful, wouldn't it?"

"No!" Sango shouted out desperately, agonizing over the life of her little brother. "Please, I'll do anything!"

Naraku clapped his hands once and signaled to another of the men sitting at the table with him. The man stood and approached Sango, and through the monitor we caught the brief glimpse of a gun being handed over to her before she accepted it.

Looking back and forth delightedly between Sango and Kagome-chan, Naraku gestured to the gun in Sango's hand. "Kill her."

There was an unbearable pause, then my stomach dropped as Sango raised the gun obediently, aiming right between Kagome-chan's widened and terrified eyes. I couldn't believe Sango would actually go through with this, though I was disheartened to remember the loyalty and protectiveness she held for her brother. If she'd join Naraku's band of murderers for him, certainly killing Kagome-chan was nothing in comparison. She clicked the safety off.

Inuyasha ripped the radio out of Sesshomaru-san's hands. "_NOW!" _he bellowed into the mic, "All units inside there now! MOVE IT!"

Dropping the radio, Inuyasha climbed into the driver's seat, not waiting for Sesshomaru-san to take the passenger seat before slamming on the van's gas pedal. I was thrown backwards into the bench, trying to stay focused on the monitor as the officers stationed closer to Kumo's headquarters started swarming in from every angle, catching Naraku and the others completely off guard.

Then, just as Sango dove to avoid the fray, the camera went black, and I realized her hand was covering the lens as she worked it free from the collar of her shirt. She set in on the ground carefully, and I was able to catch a glimpse of Hakudoshi slipping down a hidden corridor with Kagome-chan in tow. I informed Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san of this, and once again the pedal hit the metal as Inuyasha forced the speed of the van dangerously high. Over the complaining roar of the engine, I could still decipher muffled rustling noises spilling through the speaker connected to Sango's recording device and I realized that she'd left it taped to her side as she fled the room.

It seemed to only take us seconds to reach Kumo's headquarters and soon Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san were joining the swarm of fellow policemen, throwing on bullet-proof vests and cocking their guns in no time. Sesshomaru-san gave me one last warning to stay in the van, then suddenly I was alone in the eerie quiet while all hell broke loose on the other side of a mere door.

Panic had rendered me numb. I wasn't sure what to think. One minute, Sesshomaru-san was playing it careful and slow and the next Inuyasha had overridden his brother and issued in the storm of the century to rain on Kumo's parade. I was worried sick for Kagome-chan, worried that they'd be unable to reach her in time before Hakudoshi-san's limited patience ran out and he pulled the trigger.

Most of all, I focused on Sango. I was more confused about her than ever. I was worried to death about her too, though the disappointment at her apparent willingness to kill Kagome-chan for the sake of her brother was extremely unsettling. The rustling over the speaker seemed louder now as the van's engine had been cut, though she didn't seem too interested on bothering with her mic to communicate. I wondered if she'd removed her ear piece too, though just as I thought this, I heard my name being whispered fervently through the speaker.

"Miroku! Are you still there?"

I looked at the speaker dumbly, unsure if I wanted to respond. Sango continued regardless, rendering my debate unneeded.

"I'm really sorry things turned out like this, Miroku. It got really out of hand back there, but I guess you saw…"

I huffed sardonically. That was an understatement.

"You probably never want to see me again, but that's okay … I understand. It doesn't matter anyway. There's been a change of plan, Miroku. I'm going after my brother, and then I'm getting the hell out of here."

There was a ripping noise, then silence. Sango had disconnected her recorder and ear piece, and I was left alone in the unsettling quiet once more.

* * *

**AN: Alright! We're getting to the close now! We'll have summarizing chapters from here on out, to end the climax and resolve the rest of the story and whatnot. Pretty standard. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!**


	16. Chapter Fifteen: September 17th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi**

**Chapter Fifteen: September 17****th**

I was extremely angry with Sango, and though I tried to blame the whole thing on her almost shooting Kagome-chan, I knew there was something else there, bothering me relentlessly. I supposed I felt betrayed; this was a girl who'd engaged me in a terrifying mind game of suspense, poisoned me, let me kiss her in the rain, and threw my offer of help back in my face only to track me down at a hotel and end up kissing me again. These were more than enough excuses to hate her until Kingdom Come, though for some reason, they still didn't settle with me as being completely right. Ultimately, I realized it was because she'd made me care about her that caused me to be so angry with her.

It might've been unfair of me to blame my feelings for her _on_ her, but at the moment I didn't particularly care. Really it had to be her fault anyway, because why else would I become so fond of the person trying to kill me?

I thought she had changed when she came back to the hotel asking for assistance, though she now proved me horrendously wrong. I wanted her, and I was stupid enough to believe that maybe, she wanted me in return. But no, she was being selfish. I didn't need her. I was still engaged to Koharu-chan, I had a life with another woman awaiting me at home. Fuck Sango, fuck her brother.

And fuck me for still wanting her anyway.

I growled incoherent curses in impatience and utter frustration as I jumped to my feet, letting out another string of curses as my head collided painfully with the van's roof. Rubbing the top of my skull, I reached for the door latch, ready to wrench it open and hunt down Sango when it suddenly pulled open haphazardly from outside. I panicked and backed into the surveillance equipment on the opposite side, completely unprepared to defend myself against Naraku or some other Kumo affiliate.

My heart dropped in overwhelming relief as I realized Inuyasha was on the other side of the door, looking uncharacteristically worried and desperate.

"Miroku, get your ass out here, you gotta help me! You saw where that bastard dragged Kagome, didn't you? Lead me there!"

He didn't give me opportunity to answer as he yanked me from the van, shoving a bullet-proof vest into my chest.

"Put this on! Now let's go!"

I obeyed blindly, struggling with the straps of the vest and running with Inuyasha back into Kumo's headquarters, going surprisingly unnoticed by the officers continuing to struggle to block off Naraku's lackeys' escape. Bullets flew around us, pinging off of walls and embedding in furniture. Every once in a while, there was the sickening, thick-sounding thud and splat as they made their mark, accompanied by either a scream of pain or the sound of a collapsing body. I tried to make my ears numb and my eyes blind as Inuyasha led me into the conference room-like area we'd seen over the monitor.

He turned back to me finally, coming to a stop in the strangely vacant room. "Which way did they go, Miroku?" he demanded.

I studied the room, trying to discern which off-shooting, blackened corridor looked familiar. Deciding on one, I pointed towards it. "This way, I think."

Inuyasha didn't look convinced. "You think or you know?" he chastised, not intending to move a muscle until I gave him a more confident answer.

"It was dark!" I shot back heatedly. "I'm doing the best I can here!" I pointed down the corridor with a renewed fervor. "They went this way."

It was obvious he didn't have the time or patience to argue with me and he ran down the hall, gruffly shouting for me to follow him. "Watch my back," he ordered urgently. "And stay close!"

I didn't need to be told twice, and I stuck close to his side as our progress gradually slowed to listen for any sign of Hakudoshi-san or Kagome-chan. I couldn't let myself wonder if he'd kept her alive this long or not. The sounds of the guns and whizzing bullets faded as we trudged carefully forward, straining our eyes to see in the dark.

Though I fought to keep myself from becoming overwhelmed with the horror of what was going down around me, I was morbidly curious to what exactly would happen tonight. Did Sesshomaru-san intend to just kill all six head honchos of Kumo tonight? It seemed horribly unorthodox and blatantly against some sort of protocol, yet if that really was his plan, it didn't strike me as surprising. Having been involved with the chief of police so closely this past month-and-a-half, I came to the conclusion that based on character alone, Sesshomaru-san was too solidary a person to make a good police chief.

We made it maybe five yards into the blackened corridor when I started to notice the severe slope of the slippery ground; this wasn't so much a hallway as it was a tunnel, probably interconnected with subway rails and sewage. It definitely smelled like sewage anyway, and as the ground went passed slippery and fully into wet, our feet causing the echoes of splashes to ring off the curved walls as we ran through the puddles, I tried not to think about the content of said puddles currently sopping up the bottoms of my jeans and shoes.

My eyes were finally adjusting to the dense blackness of the tunnel when my feet suddenly flew out from underneath me and I hit the ground hard, wincing as I landed on my back in a rather large, questionable puddle of filth. My fall had surprised me; I hadn't even realized I'd lost my footing when all of the sudden I was lying on my back, too winded and perplexed to fully register my pain.

Inuyasha whipped around, staring at me on the floor with a terrifying amount of alarm sketched across his face. It was far too jarring to be simple shock that I'd tripped, and just as I began to think that my fall was not due to unexpected clumsiness, Inuyasha was suddenly and violently shoved into the far wall by some unseen force.

"Inuyasha!" I croaked weakly, still fighting to catch my breath, I tried rolling over, intending to push myself to my feet, but my shoulder was wrenched backwards and the next thing I knew I was drinking the very puddle my back had been in as my face was pressed roughly into the wet cement.

"Shut up!" I heard Inuyasha shout, though at this point I wasn't sure who he was talking to. I now knew there was another person in the tunnel with us, though as I listened to Inuyasha struggle to fight him and noticing the person forcing my head down hadn't let up, I realized there must be at least two.

I was deafened as Inuyasha shot off two rapid-fire bullets from his gun, and I was sorely tempted to yell at him for shooting recklessly while more or less blind to whom he was shooting at. He could've gotten me! Instinctively, I struggled to stand again, wanting to get as far away from here as I could. Screw Inuyasha, screw Kumo and screw Sango. I just wanted back in that van. My head was slammed into the slippery concrete and a splitting pain shot into my jaw. I tried to sweep my tongue across my teeth without getting too much dirty water into my mouth, trying to feel for any chipped or broken teeth. I was relieved to not find any, though the amount of blood I tasted could only indicate a severely torn lip.

There were a few more crunching noises and grunts and curses of pain, and I figured Inuyasha had returned to using his fists to fight whoever was attacking him. I was baffled; the attackers hadn't said two words, which I suppose was more or less expected, but every time I heard a punch land that wasn't accompanied by a curse from Inuyasha, I began to wonder if these men were human at all. No sound except for the heavy, open-mouthed breathing from the brute pinning me down escaped their lips.

I heard a heavy splatter from a puddle maybe five feet away from me and I realized that Inuyasha's gun had been tossed from his hands. He sputtered a few more angry curses as his assailant was able to knock him around a bit, then a particularly agonizing shout echoed down the hall as an awful sounding crunch followed. I grimaced, helpless to aid him as I intrinsically knew such a horrifying sound could only accompany broken bones. I was suddenly very aware that Inuyasha was fighting to the death, or, and this seemed somehow worse, fighting for his life.

I was scared shitless, frozen in terror and immobilized anyway due to the lackey practically sitting on top of me, listening to the sounds of Inuyasha's fight. At the very least, I was strangely grateful that my restrained position rendered me unable to actually see the fight take place. Still, I wasn't sure how much more of the sounds I could take either. There was only so much bone crunching, skin bruising, and blood splattering that I could stomach before I was overcome with the desire to vomit.

There was a final, gruesome, stomach-lurching crack followed by a heavy thud, then… Silence.

I had no way of knowing whose limp, obviously lifeless body had fallen to the floor, but as the weight pinning me down suddenly lifted and lunged towards the mass, I was filled with overwhelming relief. Inuyasha had gotten the better of his attacker, and the brute restraining me had leapt to avenge his comrade. My feet found the floor again and I was upright in time to see the last henchmen throw himself at Inuyasha. In a feat that was pure superhuman (though more likely fueled by pure adrenaline) Inuyasha caught the surprisingly small man in mid-air and tossed him aside.

"Miroku!" He was addressing me frantically, urgent to get what he wanted me to know out before the remaining attacker lunged for him again. I noticed he struggled to put weight on his left leg and I realized that the first bone-breaking noise I'd heard had been his calf. I grimaced. The fallen attacker had been strong enough to break a leg bone with his bare hands.

"Get outta here! They're in this tunnel, I'm sure of it! Keep tracking him; take my gun," he glanced down hurriedly at the abandoned pistol still sitting in the puddle, "And don't do anything stupid!" He deflected another full-bodied attack from the miniscule henchman. "I'm calling for backup and I'll be there as soon as I can!"

Again, I obeyed blindly. Pushing aside all protests about how unqualified I was to be doing this, how wrong it was that I be doing this in the first place, I grabbed the gun, clumsily checking to make sure the safety was on and ran further into the black tunnel, solely focused on finding Kagome-chan before Hakudoshi-san pulled the trigger. I tried to think of some sort of plan, some strategy I could use to stall him, before giving up in my hurried panic and just hoping that he'd go for me instead.

I'd turned a corner and ran ten more yards before I nearly stopped dead in my tracks. I'd almost forgotten the reason I wasn't currently hiding out in the van in the first place. Sure, Inuyasha had forced me to come help him find Kagome-chan, but I had already made the decision to try and find somebody else.

Sango.

The uncertainty of my feelings surrounding her was enough to make me physically ill. I was pissed, worried, fed-up, and terrified of her outcome tonight; on top of which I now worried about what would happen to everyone else as well. Inuyasha was currently engaged in a hand-to-hand fight for his life with a broken leg. Kagome-chan had been abducted by Hakudoshi-san. Sango was God only knows where, probably off finding her brother and running away like she'd said. I also wondered if Naraku himself had been taken down by Sesshomaru-san and his officers or if he'd managed to sneak away. Even if we were able to save Kagome-chan and make it out alive tonight, if Naraku was still out there, undoubtedly this whole mess would start back up again until either he or I was dead. And if that were the case, I severely doubted my survival.

Yet most of the fear seriously threatening to transport me back to that all-encompassing numbness concerned Sango. I found myself resorting to the final hope that in the very least, she'd been able to escape before things had escalated to this level.

Before I could lose myself completely to my surprisingly distracting thoughts, I was struck another blow so suddenly that again, I barely had time to register what had happened before I was flat on my back in murky puddles of sewage water. The pain, however, was not something that was delayed by shock this time around. A burning, pulsing agony radiated from the side of my skull, just underneath my ear. Blotches of white blurred my vision even in the dark, and I was instantly aware of a concussion.

I stared up at the tunnel's dripping ceiling, dazedly waiting for my vision to be returned to me and my ear to stop throbbing so bad to formulate a response. My attacker, however, did not hold the same level of patience, and the sharp, jagged, and presumably broken end of a metal rod was jabbed into my right hand, which had been lying open and palm up. It hurt, though I knew there wasn't enough force behind the pressure to break the skin, and as such I remained largely focused on the disorienting pain in my skull.

He spoke, and I was torn between dread and relief to recognize the cruelly sadistic voice of Hakudoshi-san.

"It's about time you showed up, Tsujitani. I just knew you were ready to do something stupid again."

I groaned weakly, taking a brief moment to register the fact that my groan was echoed by effeminate mumbling. Cracking an eye open, I rolled my head around, fighting instant nausea as I looked towards the source. I had to wait for my vision to clear of the fuzzy white blotches before I recognized Kagome-chan, her arms still bound at the wrists and restrained over her head by a broken metal rod, similar to the one Hakudoshi-san stabbed my hand with. Her eyes were wide with fright as she watched me lie motionless on the ground and I vaguely wondered if she were trying to call my name through the dingy fabric gag tied around her mouth.

"Although," Hakudoshi-san continued blithely, "Stupid or not, I'd be lying if I said I'm not glad you came. Honestly, it's much easier this way." With his free hand he aimed his gun—the same gun I'd seen previously jabbed into Kagome-chan's side—right at my forehead. Kagome-chan let out another muffled cry, and I listened as she struggled against her restraints. My eyes, however, fought to stay focused on Hakudoshi-san while my brain was teetering into unconsciousness.

He kicked Inuyasha's gun from my left hand easily, and I cursed mentally at my absentmindedness. I had completely forgotten I had it, though the point at which I'd thought I could more or less accurately use it had already passed. There was a faint click as Hakudoshi-san disabled the safety and I was contrite to hurriedly compile a list of final regrets as I waited for him to pull the trigger.

I had been able to kiss Sango—twice even, so that was checked off the to-do list.

I wished I had been given a second chance to see Hachi after he'd bailed me out with Sesshomaru-san a few days ago.

Maybe giving up kendo and karate classes in my first year of high school had been a mistake.

My first kiss… That had been a mistake, and almost certainly a regrettable one.

I wanted to see Sango one last time, to tell her … something. I still wasn't quite sure what…

The gunshot never came.

I cracked my eye open again, fighting off the most recent urge to pass out from the pain as I watched Hakudoshi-san scrutinize me thoughtfully.

"No," he said, more to himself than to either Kagome-chan or myself. "I should go for the pain, right? That's what Naraku-sama is always saying. 'Get them where it hurts before you end it.' That way, their death is agonizing, no matter the level of physical torture you put them through." He clicked the safety back on. "Isn't that right?"

I swallowed hard, trying and failing to decipher what he could do to me that would hurt the most. Ultimately, it didn't matter exactly what he did. Anything could destroy me at this point.

Hakudoshi-san didn't give me much time to stew in my own perplexed struggle to keep my mind working. His grip on the metal rod pinning my hand flat to the ground lightened some, before he suddenly brought it back down with a surprising amount of force. Almost effortlessly, the jagged, broken off end of the metal rod pierced through skin, bone and skin again as Hakudoshi-san impaled my hand completely, embedding the rod into the softened, muddy rocks.

My mind may have been leaving me, but I at least at the coherence to scream in agony as he drove the rod through my hand, watching through fuzzy eyes as blood spurted from the wound once, then continued to stream out steadily down my fingers, palm, and wrist. Hakudoshi-san gave the rod a subtle, though no less painful twist, ensuring that it was firmly planted in the soggy ground and that I was sufficiently immobilized.

"Just sit and relax, Tsujitani," he mocked evilly, "We'll get to your turn eventually. For now, though…" he turned back to Kagome-chan, whose cheeks shined with fallen tears.

Casting a final glance back at me over his shoulder, as if verifying that I was still conscious to watch what he was going to do, Hakudoshi-san slowly made his way over to Kagome-chan, who with her hands bound and restrained above her, was helpless to escape. She let out a small, muffled whimper.

"No!" I called out, my voice sounding weak and pitiful. "Wait, please!"

By some miracle, Hakudoshi-san did just that, if somewhat reluctantly. Still, he seemed tame enough to play along and he paused halfway between me and Kagome-chan. "Yes?"

"Don't do this, please," I begged, reaching out blindly with my free, uninjured hand. "You have me, you don't need her anymore. Just let her go."

Hakudoshi-san seemed to really consider this, looking back at Kagome-chan thoughtfully as he mulled my plea over. "That is true," he acquiesced, sounding slightly agreeable through his sadism. "Even with you, I've got more than Sango ever managed."

I could tell as he finished speaking that he was obviously jealous while still being smug and prideful, and I latched onto this, hoping I could distract him, stall him until Inuyasha and his reinforcements showed up.

"Sango's in trouble with Naraku now, isn't she?" I asked, deliberately trying to make my question seem ignorant and childish.

Hakudoshi-san gave me a weird look, though I could also tell his arrogance had raised some. "She's not going to last much longer, if that's what you mean." He took a cruel pleasure in predicting Sango's grim fate. "Naraku-sama will get rid of the chief of police, and your precious Sango will follow soon after."

I changed my tactic drastically, going from feigning naiveté to seriously analyzing him. "You don't like Sango, do you?"

Hakudoshi-san huffed, examining the barrel of his gun as if inspecting for dust or imperfections. "Sango's had everything at Kumo handed to her on a silver platter," he confessed angrily, his pride slipping as his monstrous jealousy reared its head. "She was Naraku-sama's prodigy, his pupil." He aimed his gun at Kagome-chan, and both of us tensed involuntarily, but he didn't shoot. "He treated her like she was his own _daughter_, for fuck's sake."

It was obvious that Hakudoshi-san had been harboring these feelings of resentment towards Sango for years now, possibly ever since he'd first met her, though I was sure if Sango were here now, she'd insist that he had nothing to be jealous about. I was starting to get an idea of how an actual hired assassin behaved.

"Sango was too selfish to be in the game," he continued bitterly, and it surprised me to hear a murderer chastise someone for selfishness. "All she ever did was think about her bratty younger brother, all she ever talked about was making her quota and getting out of Kumo and never looking back. She never wanted to put forth the same effort as the rest of us in order to get ahead. She's nothing but a liar and a cheater!" His voice rose indignantly as his ranting continued and he suddenly whipped back around, facing me and pointing his gun directly between my eyes. "Though I suppose it doesn't matter now, does it, Tsujitani?"

There was a minute craziness detectable in his eyes, and I glanced over at Kagome-chan, wondering if she had seen it as well. I was too baffled to be overly concerned at the gun aimed at my face—it did still have the safety on, after all. While I hadn't been expecting nearly that much of an explanation from Hakudoshi-san, it was bewildering to hear him talk about Sango, Kumo, and Naraku like that. It was as if he genuinely thought he was doing honest work, and that there were rules and ethics one had to follow. Like Kumo really was a legitimate business and not a carnival full of assassins and conmen.

Hakudoshi-san went on, answering his own rhetorical question. "No, it doesn't matter. Sango's run away, like the spineless little bitch she is. I hope I get to be there when Naraku-sama kills her." He pulled his gun back again, once more examining the barrel with sadistic pleasure. "I hope he lets me do it."

"Try me, you asshole!"

Her voice had come out of nowhere, and was so sudden and unexpected that even in my severely weakened and slightly delirious state, I jumped, wincing as the movement tugged on my impaled hand painfully. I tried rolling my head around to determine exactly where she stood, as her voice had echoed off the tunnel walls deceptively. Still, my condition wasn't so deteriorated that relief and happiness were completely foreign to me. Sango had actually come back.

She addressed Hakudoshi-san again. "You can't do this, Haku. Things aren't going as well as you think they are. If you kill them, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru will kill you too." She seemed to think reasoning with him was a valid tactic, though I had long ago given him up for insane and completely unreasonable.

Then I latched onto another thing Sango had said. Things weren't going as well as Hakudoshi-san suspected? Did that mean that Sesshomaru-san had finally taken down Kumo? And if that were the case, what had happened to Naraku? Had he survived the fight or was he numbered among the dead?

Uncontrolled anger flashed in Hakudoshi-san's eyes. He swung his gun around haphazardly, aiming for Sango now. I listened as she stepped forward, as if urging him to keep his gun on her and ignore everybody else. She finally came into my line of sight, and my heart clenched to see her so close to me again. It almost felt like I hadn't seen her in a couple years, not merely a couple hours.

I wanted to watch to try and gage Hakudoshi-san's reaction before he made one—I was especially worried that instead of luring him, Sango's approach would only taunt him to pull the trigger faster—though I was distracted by a shy touch to my shoulder. Sluggishly, I turned my head around, eventually landing eyes on a boy, maybe eleven or twelve, struggling to support my weight while dutifully taking care not to jostle my injured hand too much. I studied him as closely as my failing cognizance would allow. He looked remarkably similar to Sango, though his long brown hair was much more unruly and there was a spotting of freckles across his nose. This had to be Kohaku, her infamous younger brother.

"Hey," he whispered, keeping a watchful eye on his older sister and Hakudoshi-san, "Neesan told me to move you someplace safe, but we've gotta get this stick outta your hand first." He gripped the rod hesitantly, but made no move to rip it out.

Again, I scrutinized him, slightly worried that my care would be left up to a person so young. Still, maybe he was like his sister, and had maturity and courage beyond his years. And really, I didn't have much of a choice other than him at this point. I decided to trust him.

Kohaku-kun focused on the rod, biting his lip and looking almost squeamish with dread. In that single moment, it became very clear that at least he had been spared the young introduction to the murdering life. I had a very strong suspicion that this was due to Sango's influence more than anything else and I took a small moment to appreciate her protectiveness.

Finally, he gulped, wiped his sweaty palm on his jeans before grabbing the rod once more. "I-I'm just going to do it quick." He cut a glance down at me, to see if I had any objections. Honestly, the pain from it being stuck through my hand for so long now was beyond unbearable and I didn't particularly care if it was fast or slow, just as long as it was out.

His grip tightened, and I grit my teeth together, closed my eyes and choked on a scream as he suddenly ripped the rod out of the soggy ground and my hand in one swift tug.

"Sorry!" Kohaku-kun apologized profusely, almost desperately, and I could tell that he had started crying for me. "I'm so sorry, but I-I thought it w-would be best…"

I shook my head limply, groaning in pain as I tried to fold my hand into a fist. I couldn't get all of my fingers to obey the urge to curl however, and it dawned on me that in impaling my hand, Hakudoshi-san probably severed more than a few nerves. My right hand was completely useless now, and I had a sinking suspicion that if I didn't get treated soon, it might remain so forever.

Kohaku-kun struggled to pull me off to the side of the tunnel, and I pushed passed the pain to help him out as much as I could. I refused to be pulled too far off however, as I was adamant about keeping Sango and Hakudoshi-san in my line of sight. Without my help, Kohaku-kun was forced to oblige. He helped me lean back against the slippery tunnel wall, then produced a bandana from his front pocket.

"Do you want me to wrap it?" he offered quietly, referring to my hand that had continued to bleed steadily. "It might hurt—"

"Wrap it," I demanded hastily, then feeling bad about my aggressive tone, added, "Please." I kept my eyes focused on Sango and Kagome-chan to ignore the irritating throbs of agony has Kohaku-kun obediently bandaged my hand.

"You just had to come back, didn't you?" Hakudoshi-san was seething, and hadn't lowered his gun. "Had to make sure I didn't kill your boyfriend?"

"Shut up, Haku." Sango's reply was surprisingly mild despite her reprimand. "I'm always cleaning up after your messes, you know that."

"_Bitch!_" Hakudoshi-san roared his free hand flying up to grip the gun as well, steadying his aim as he shook with rage. "I'll fucking kill you right now, how's that for a mess?"

I didn't know why I hadn't noticed before, though it now became apparent that Sango was walking in a circle, forcing an unwitting Hakudoshi-san to face his back to the open, unguarded end of the tunnel. My body tensed in objection instinctively; this was putting his gun so it was now aimed where it could hit the still-restrained Kagome-chan. What was she thinking?

It was obvious that Hakudoshi-san had caught on to at least this fact, as he grinned wickedly, his eyes flicked to Kagome-chan. He changed his aim, going passed Sango and pointing the gun back at Kagome-chan, though Sango quickly threw her hands up submissively, still attempting to stall him.

"Don't do it, Haku," she warned.

"And why the hell not, bitch?" Hakudoshi-san demanded, keeping the readied gun trained on Kagome-chan, who now sobbed uncontrollably and squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm doing _your_ job, aren't I?"

"That's funny," Sango muttered sarcastically, "I thought I was doing yours."

Hakudoshi-san faltered before straightening back up. "What?"

"Miroku was your responsibility wasn't he? Naraku put you in charge of getting his company to protect Kumo, then when the policy fell through it was your job to get rid of him."

I wasn't quite sure what Sango's strategy was here. She seemed to be trying to distract him, but her method of choice only seemed to ridicule him into pulling the trigger sooner. It was like she was playing Russian roulette with Kagome-chan's life, only this time there was no doubt that the gun's round was loaded. Then, remarkably, considering the nearly mute level of them, I heard footsteps approaching, completely unnoticed by Hakudoshi-san, who, with his back to the open end of the tunnel, was blind to whoever was coming.

Because Sango had positioned him to be.

For a brief moment, Inuyasha, despite his slow progress due to his broken leg, made his way around the corner and halted, making eye contact with me briefly and silently ordering me to remain quiet. I didn't need him to tell me anyway, and a quick glance over to Kohaku-kun told me he was already aware and waiting of Inuyasha's presence. Looking over at Kagome-chan, who in her position had the best view of the officer, I tried to convey the same message to her that Inuyasha had given me, though it appeared to be unneeded. She looked overwhelmingly surprised and relieved for a moment before she flicked her eyes back to Hakudoshi-san's gun warily. I was fairly confident that I was the only one who noticed that her crying had taken on a different purpose.

Sango went on. "But then you had to go mess everything up with that bomb. Really, Haku, just what statement were you trying to make there? You above all people should know that Naraku prizes subtlety. But, no, you planted a _bomb._" She shook her head disapprovingly. "Honestly."

Now I was certain that she had crossed a line, though I wasn't so sure that Sango herself realized that. She seemed too wound up in the fact that if Hakudoshi-san hadn't blown his shot, she would've never been saddled with the task of cleaning up after him and, consequently, none of this would've happened. Really, I had never thought of it that way either. Everything that had happened: protective custody, being poisoned, sitting in a tunnel with a concussion and a hole in my hand; all of it could be traced back to the fact that Hakudoshi-san failed in his attempt to get a policy through my company. Still, it didn't make for a good move to rub it in his face. I supposed I'd slightly overestimated Sango's abilities for her age.

No matter how expected it might've been at this point, hearing Hakudoshi-san finally pull the trigger made ice drip down my spine, my stomach jolt painfully, and everyone present stiffened noticeably. The gag did nothing to stop the agonizing scream Kagome-chan let out almost simultaneously with the bullet, and several things happened at once.

Inuyasha had managed to retrieve his gun from the floor where Hakudoshi-san had kicked it out of my hand, and no sooner had the bullet left the casing in the latter's gun had Inuyasha fired his own round. Sango dove quickly, violently throwing herself in front of and colliding with Kagome-chan roughly. Inuyasha's well-trained bullet hit its mark, Hakudoshi-san's hand, causing his gun to clatter to the floor and eliciting a shriek of surprise and agony; the force of Sango's back being shoved into Kagome-chan's chest was enough to loosen the knot tying her bound hands to the broken metal rod above her head and both girls tumbled to the ground in a heap.

"Neesan!" Kohaku-kun made to go to over to Sango, though somehow I managed to hold him back.

"Just wait a second!" I said, grabbing the hem of his shirt with my left hand and holding him steady. I tried to take stock of exactly what happened just now, struggling to put events in their proper order after the rush.

I was terrified at what had happened to Kagome-chan; I feared messing with either girl now tangled together on the floor would make her gun wound worse, and regrettably, I continued to hold Kohaku-kun at bay. Kagome-chan had continued to shriek and cry hysterically, and Inuyasha hurried in his effort to handcuff the amazingly still fighting Hakudoshi-san to get to her as quickly as possible. There was a stampede of footsteps now thundering up the tunnel and as Inuyasha carefully pulled Kagome-chan to her feet, his brother, Sesshomaru-san, came into view.

While the chief of police went straight for Hakudoshi-san, finally restrained and lying fitfully on his side, Inuyasha surveyed Kagome-chan carefully, taking the gag out of her mouth.

"Where'd he get you?" he demanded urgently, spinning her in a circle and checking every inch of her. "Are you alright?"

"I dunno," Kagome-chan wept. "I think so, I'm just… Oh, Inuyasha I was so scared…"

He embraced her, combing his hand through her hair and shushing her quietly. I was sickly confused and filled with a suspicious dread; if Kagome-chan was fine, then where had Hakudoshi-san's bullet gone? I severely doubted that at that range, he'd missed his mark. Then I became aware of Kohaku-kun's continuing struggle against my hold on him and I followed his gaze slowly, my eyes eventually landing on Sango. She hadn't moved from where she'd fallen.

"Neesan!" Kohaku-kun cried again, and finally, my hand slipped from his shirt and his dash towards his sister was only hindered by Inuyasha, who swung an arm down to catch him across the chest. "Sango-neesan! Let me go to her, please!"

"Hold on a second, kid," Inuyasha warned lowly, trying to direct him away from the scene. "She's going to be fine, just give her some air."

Kohaku-kun finally went limp against Inuyasha's arm, tears pouring silently down his face. With no one to hold me back, I pushed myself to my feet heavily and stumbled towards Sango as Inuyasha led both Kagome-chan and Sango's younger brother over to Sesshomaru-san, muttering something about getting an ambulance here as soon as possible.

I smelled the blood before I saw any, and the metallic stench alone was enough to bring me to my knees. Her left shoulder was a gruesome mess, skin, tissue, and muscles torn to bits in the wake of Hakudoshi-san's bullet. I now realized why she'd dived unexpectedly, why she'd been so violently shoved into Kagome-chan; she'd intended to take the blow all along. Blood was splattered everywhere, with errant splotches on her face. For the first time I noticed her right eye; blackened and badly swollen, with a jagged, crescent-moon shaped cut along the outer rim of her socket bone. I remembered the "punishment" that Naraku had dealt her for disappearing for three days. Her skin was terribly pale and jaundiced, and I worried that she was worse off than she looked, an unsettling thought with how bad she looked in the first place.

With my bandaged right hand, I clumsily brushed her bangs back from her face; using the bandana Kohaku-kun had wrapped my hand with to wipe away some of the clammy sweat beading around her hairline. She took a shuddering breath at my touch and my heart clenched in cautionary relief.

"Sango?" I prompted, trying to get her to respond and stay conscious until the ambulance that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san called could arrive.

She groaned softly and made to grab her shoulder with her uninjured hand.

"No, no," I grabbed her hand quickly and kept it away from the bullet hole, worried that she'd cause further damage by touching it. "It's going to be okay, Sango. Just a few more minutes and the ambulance will be here and you can go to the hospital, okay?" I huffed inwardly. We all needed to go to the hospital.

Groaning again, Sango finally cracked her eyes open and looked at me fuzzily. "Dammit … this is what I get for trying to save you people. Serves me right, I guess…" I was amazed and slightly offended at her attempt to joke, though the punch line fell flat in her weak state. Her eyes fluttered closed again and her breathing became shallow.

"No, Sango, come on!" I patted her cheek, urging her to open her eyes and talk to me again, even if it was a horribly ill-conceived joke. "Stay with me, please!"

There was a light scoff and I looked up, surprised to see Hakudoshi-san, sitting against the same wall I had been moments ago, hands cuffed and waiting for Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san to stop discussing their next move.

"I'd be surprised if Sango died from that," he chuckled bitterly. "Though I wouldn't mind it if she did. I'd hate to serve my time in a cell next to that bitch for twenty-five to life."

"Go to hell," I shot back weakly. Between my grief for Sango and my own injuries, I didn't have the strength to put up with much else. I wondered if I'd even be able to hear the ambulance's sirens this deep in the tunnels under Kumo headquarters.

Hakudoshi-san huffed and settled back, trying to get as comfortable as he could. "Very nice," he replied lazily, watching with a wary eye as Sesshomaru-san ended his discussion with Inuyasha and approached him again. "Looks like my ride is here. I'll see you in court, Tsujitani." He shot me his signature sadistic grin before he was yanked to his feet by the chief of police and hauled away.

I glanced down at Sango, feeling my mind teeter into unconsciousness again without any stimuli to keep me focused anymore. I wanted to try and wake her up again, but I was so tired. Hardly registering that Inuyasha and Kagome-chan approaching me, calling out to me, I slumped back into the far wall of the tunnel, finally letting my eyes slid shut and succumbing to the black.

* * *

**AN: "Neesan" is a semi-familiar name given to older sisters. **


	17. Chapter Sixteen: September 18th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi**

**Chapter Sixteen: September 18****th**

I didn't particularly want to wake up so soon, but the incessant mumble of voices in polite conversation next to me was becoming too hindering to my sleep. I cracked my eyes open reluctantly, squinting in the sterile, bright white room and trying to decide how angrily I should react. The voices quieted at noticing me roll my head around, and an unfamiliar feminine voice gasped my name in attentive excitement.

"Miroku?"

I grunted irritably in reply, blinking a couple times as Hachi's relieved and smiling face fell into focus. "Hachi?"

"Good to see you awake, Miroku-sama," he said, nodding at me from his spot sitting in a chair to my immediate right. "You were looking pretty rough for a while there."

I nodded vaguely, wincing as the movement reverberated in dull pain throughout my skull. "I was?" I asked slowly, "Where am I?"

"The hospital," Hachi answered dutifully. "Yamaguchi-san had you checked in around two or three in the morning."

Remembering some of the more painful moments of last night, I nodded again, running my tongue along the inside of my bottom lip and noting the tug of at least three or four stitches. I frowned. I hadn't though the cut was bad enough to need stitches, though my focus on my split lip was fleeting as I recalled my worst injury of the night. Glancing down at the bed, I surveyed my right hand apprehensively as it lay tucked next to my side and completely wrapped in stiff, thick white gauze. I looked back at Hachi, my eyes wide and questioning.

His smile faltered for a bit before crossing his face in full again. "It's fine. The doctor was able to repair the nerve damage, but…"

I blinked slowly. "But?"

"You'll have full movement in it again," he assured me quickly. "But it looks like you'll need skin grafts to fully restore it. To remove as much of the scarring as possible"

I looked back down at the wad of bandages and gauze that had become my right hand. I wondered how bad it must've been for the doctor to suggest that I needed skin grafts just to repair scarring, though right now, I didn't want to think about it too much. Focusing on the fact that the nerve damage had been repaired was going to be my saving grace in this situation.

"How long was I out?" I asked Hachi, turning back to my friend and business partner.

Hachi scratched his neck in thought, and I noted the five o'clock shadow of a night without a shave. He glanced at the clock on the far wall. "It's almost seven p.m. now, so … sixteen hours, maybe?"

"Sixteen hours?" I was shocked. Had I really been out that long? I supposed my concussion had added to my downtime, though it was still unbelievable. The infiltration attempt at Kumo, the fight in the tunnel with the two henchmen, and the final confrontation with Hakudoshi-san; that had all been nearly two days ago.

"I've been worried sick about you!" The feminine voice from when I'd first awakened reasserted herself in the conversation and I looked to Hachi's side, squinting in befuddlement as I sluggishly identified Koharu-chan. Why hadn't I recognized her voice before? I remembered that she and I were still technically engaged, though she seemed almost completely foreign to me now.

"Koharu-chan…" I finally mumbled, working the name back into familiarity in my mouth. Suddenly recalling that she had initially been informed that my disappearance was due to an out-of-town business trip, I scrutinized her carefully, unaware of how much I could say to her. Thankfully, she answered that question for me as she continued.

"I can't believe you and everybody else lied to me!" she bemoaned, sounding slightly selfish in light of everything that had happened. I should've known she'd want to focus on how my being in protective custody affected _her_, how my almost dying interrupted _her_ life. "How could you do that to me? Do you have any idea what I've been through, not being told the whole truth for so long?"

"Sorry," I huffed unapologetically. "It was for your own protection, you know."

She ignored me, jumping to the next matter of importance. "We were supposed to be married a whole week ago, Miroku. All of my preparations and hard work, all of that almost went to waste!" Waving her hand blithely, apparently dismissing the inconvenience, she smiled and patted my leg happily. "But that's okay, better late than never, right?" She winked.

I swallowed heavily and exchanged a look with Hachi. He understood immediately, and I was relieved to see him nod discreetly in agreement rather than try to talk me out of it for my own good.

"I'll leave you two alone," he said, getting to his feet and patting his pockets as if searching for something. He smiled down at me again. "I'll come back later, Miroku-sama."

I nodded, waving with my uninjured left hand as he excused himself from my hospital room and shut the door soundly behind him. I stared longer than necessary at the closed door, suddenly wishing that I had not been left alone with Koharu-chan. I knew that I had to break of my engagement; I knew that it was now or never. But that still didn't make me want to do it. Sighing heavily, I turned back to her, groaning inwardly as her smile widened and her grip on my thigh tightened.

"I'm so happy, Miroku. Everything is finally going to be alright." She made to stand, presumably wanting to give me a kiss, though I quickly stopped her before she fully straightened up.

"Hold on, Koharu-chan," I said hastily, trying to ignore the confusion written across her face and just concentrating on what exactly I was going to say. "We need to talk."

Despite the universally known hint for a bad conversation, Koharu-chan's smile never flinched, though she did take her hand off my leg. Straightening up in her chair, crossed her legs and threaded her fingers together around one knee, giving me a clueless look that clearly said she expected me to discuss the details of our wedding.

I gulped, taking the time to mentally prepare myself one last time before I trudged forward into the horrible, uncomfortable, and despairing bit of ending a relationship. My mind was drawing a total blank. Dammit, this was harder than I thought. I had no idea how to approach it. Do I attempt to awkwardly lead up to it or do I just jump in, like I always do? Neither approach would end well anyway, so I supposed it didn't matter.

"I don't want to get married," I said in a rush, keeping my head forward and watching her apprehensively through the corner of my eyes.

Finally, she cracked from that eerily pristine pose and crumpled a little, dropping her knee as both feet came to the floor in a self-imposed move for stability. We stared at each other for a moment, the silence unbearable, though neither one of us moved to break it. I tried to gage her reaction; would she be angry, upset, devastated, or all three? For some reason, I hoped she'd be more angry than anything else. I was more accustomed to anger, and was usually really good at defending myself.

"W-what?" Koharu-chan asked at last, her voice watery and small. I grimaced. Evidently, this was more heartbreaking than maddening. "What do you mean, Miroku?"

I shrugged lamely, an emphatic gesture that still fell short. "Just that," I explained vaguely. "I don't want to get married."

Her brow creased heavily in an effort to understand. "So… We're just dating then? What about that company meeting? I thought you had to…" she trailed off, looking even more dejected as the look on my face leaned towards the negative.

"As far as I know, that decision still holds," I admitted, focusing on the medical tape holding the IV to my left wrist. I pretended to be morbidly interested in the way the needle to the IV made my skin pucker around it. "I just … I just don't want to marry you…" I raised my eyes to hers again and immediately regretted it.

She looked completely and utterly shattered, frozen somewhere between disbelief and betrayal. I was rudely reminded of the night Sango was first arrested; she'd had the same look on her face then, too. Then I blinked. Why hadn't I thought of her before? I cursed myself mentally, sufficiently distracted from Koharu-chan as tears silently poured down her face.

Was Sango checked into the same hospital? If so, where was she now? I remembered how badly her shoulder had been torn up from the messy and close-range impact of Hakudoshi-san's fired bullet and wondered exactly what type of repair that needed. Surely it required surgery of some sort, but would she still be in the operating room, sixteen hours later, or would she be in recovery?

"Um," Koharu-chan muttered, her voice distorted as she talked through her relatively calm crying. "I'm not sure I'm getting this. Are you breaking up with me?"

I stared at her momentarily, still caught up in the urge to run around the hospital, banging in doors until I found Sango. It was amazing how quickly that girl could completely distract me from reality. I'd nearly forgotten I was still in the midst of a break-up.

"Yeah," I confirmed, nodding guiltily. "Yeah, I am. I'm sorry, Koharu-chan, I just don't—"

She cut me off hurriedly, putting a sole finger in the air and closing her eyes, as if warding off any attempts of painful honestly. "Please don't say that. I don't want to hear it."

She seemed to know intuitively what I wanted to tell her before I could get it out. I began to wonder if she was as clueless as I'd initially pegged her regarding our one-sided relationship. Feeling an outpouring of pity, I clammed up obediently, watching her uselessly as she wiped her eyes and sniffed delicately.

"I'm going to go," she informed me after cleaning herself up as best she could. Tears still prickled up at the corner of her eyes persistently, though she gave me her best attempt at a smile as she stood.

"Okay." I could feel my mind being overwhelmed with the uncertainty of Sango's current well-being and I figured I'd better keep my answers simple. I didn't want to risk admitting to the less monogamous things I'd engaged in with Sango as a last-ditch effort to explain myself.

Koharu-chan stood there for a moment, looking down at her shoes before she left, not uttering a goodbye or even a wave. I caught a glimpse of her briskly walking down the hallway with her head down before the door started to swing shut. At the last second it was caught and pushed back open, and Hachi poked his head in.

He exchanged a look with me, then stretched his neck to look back at Koharu-chan as she presumably made her escape. "That bad, eh?"

I shrugged, shaking my head in consternation. "I'm not sure, actually. I think it could've been worse."

Hachi chuckled sympathetically as he lowered himself back into the chair he'd vacated a short while ago. "Worse than Nanako-san leaving the hospital in tears? Do tell."

I frowned, picking at my heavily bandaged hand restlessly. "Well, yeah she was crying, but you know… She didn't get mad at me or hit me or anything."

Hachi laughed again, taking delight in my admittedly childish view of the traditional break-up. "Of course not," he finally agreed once his laughter more or less abated. He sighed almost wistfully and rested a hand on his protruding belly in thought. "I'm sure you'll find somebody, Miroku-sama. She's out there somewhere. We just have to get the Board to have patience."

I nodded, and something about his words made my mind flick back to Sango. It occurred to me that Hachi might know something of her condition and I dared to ask. "Hachi, that girl who was arrested, Mizushima? She was with me last night. Do you know if she's in here too?"

His brow creased, assumingly both in surprise and concentration. "I'm sorry Miroku-sama, but I don't know. I wasn't able to actually talk to Yamaguchi-san, and the doctors haven't said too much about anyone else."

I frowned again. I guess it was going out on a limb to ask him what he knew of Sango; I should've expected as much. The guilt I felt from not thinking of her condition earlier was somehow worsened by the fact that I now couldn't know anything about it. Content to just stew in the remorse I began to pick at my bandages again, not making an effort to prolong the conversation with my oldest friend. A comfortable silence fell between us, the only sound a soft tapping noise as Hachi idly rapped his finger on the wooden arm of his chair.

After a bit, he sighed again. "Well, it's late," he said, casting another glance towards the clock on the wall. "I should probably get going."

"Yeah," I agreed, suddenly feeling a little apprehensive about spending another night in the hospital by myself. "Say hi to Minako-san for me, will ya?"

He nodded, cracking a final smile as he hefted himself to his feet again. "I will. She'll probably want you by for dinner as soon as possible."

I laughed gratefully. "I wouldn't miss it. I'll see you around, Hachi."

He waved, and I was forced to wallow in lonely silence as I glanced around my room lamely, wondering if I should call for a nurse or just wait until they got around to me again. Despite a slight headache left over from the concussion, I actually felt really good, and I was sure that I should be able to leave tonight if possible. Because of the lateness of the hour, they might force me to stay overnight, but I wasn't above pulling a few strings.

Just as I thought this, there was a light rapping on the door before it opened, and a stupid, relieved grin split my face as Kagome-chan poked her head in through the doorway.

"Miroku-sensei!" she cajoled happily upon seeing me up in bed. "You're finally awake!" She stepped all the way into the room, and my grin widened as Inuyasha, now sporting a leg brace on his shin and a pair of crutches, followed in after her.

"Kagome-chan," I responded in kind, sweeping a scrutinizing eye up and down her sweater-and-jeans-clad figure. "How are you, are you hurt at all?"

She laughed genially, holding her hands above her head and shaking the baggy sleeves of her sweater down from her wrists. Displaying them in front of me, Kagome-chan shrugged lightly. "They're still a little raw from being tied like that for so long, but other than that I'm fine." She sat on the edge of my bed, being careful to avoid sitting on my legs. "I'm so relieved that it's all over, you have no idea."

It was my turn to laugh. "I think I might have an idea, actually," I joked sarcastically, before turning to Inuyasha. "What about you? How's your leg?"

"It feels fine," he insisted gruffly, slowly making his way over to the chair Koharu-chan sat in earlier, fumbling with his crutches and collapsing backwards into the seat heavily. "But the damn doctors are telling me I need to walk with these stupid things for three weeks!"

"Oh stop it," Kagome-chan scolded him mildly. "Weren't you complaining just ten minutes ago?" She turned back to me. "How are you doing, Miroku-sensei? Your lip's looking a little better," she glanced down at my thickly-wrapped stump of a hand apprehensively, "And your…" Letting the question hang in the air unfinished, Kagome-chan shifted a little awkwardly.

I attempted lifting my hand for the first time, unaware if the movement would cause any pain or not. It didn't, though the bandages added quite a bit of weight and I waved my hand slightly, the heavy momentum causing the wave to be much wider than I intended. Kagome-chan watched me carefully while Inuyasha rolled his eyes impatiently and slouched in his chair.

"It's alright," I said slowly, unsurely. "Hachi said the doctor repaired the nerve damage, but it seems that the scarring will be really bad."

Kagome-chan winced, but nodded solemnly, exchanging a private look with Inuyasha. She suddenly developed a fascination with her nails and started picking at them as the atmosphere grew tense. I let the three of us stew for a moment before I couldn't take any more.

"What's going on?" I demanded, clumsily pushing myself up with one hand as I looked back and forth between Kagome-chan and Inuyasha. "Seriously, fill me in here."

Inuyasha grunted irritably. "It's Sesshomaru. He wants you to come by the station tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning?" I hedged nervously, "Why not tonight?"

"You won't be checked out till morning. Doctor's orders," he explained, flicking his hand dismissively.

"What's going on?" I asked again. "Why do I have to talk to him? I thought he was tired of me."

Adjusting his slumped position in the chair, Inuyasha winced subtly as his braced leg hit the side of the empty chair next to him. "The case against Hakudoshi looks hopeless," he informed us bluntly, "And he seems to think that you're the one to persuade him to cooperate."

I shook my head quickly. "No way. There's gotta be somebody else…" Something occurred to me and I turned back to Inuyasha, intensely curious. "What about Naraku? Did he get away or—"

"He's dead." Though it didn't show, there was a nearly undetectable hint of satisfaction as Inuyasha delivered the news.

His words floored me, and I slouched back into the thin pillows propping me up. Naraku was dead? Could things like this really end this simply? I couldn't believe it.

"Are you—really?" My question was jumbled and confused. Both Kagome-chan and Inuyasha nodded.

"What about Sango?" I inquired desperately, coming back to the question that had evaded me for an hour and a half now. "Does she know? Somebody's gotta tell her and—is she alright? Have you guys seen her? Where is she?"

"Miroku-sensei!" Kagome-chan interrupted my scaling rant, putting her hands up in the air emphatically. "Calm down! Will you let me talk please?"

I looked back at her incredulously before I allowed myself to relax, letting my back hit the pillows again limply. "Okay." I took a deep breath for effect and tried again. "Have either of you seen Sango?"

Smiling at my effort like a doting teacher to an assimilated student, Kagome-chan nodded. "I have. I had to go see her, I—well, I um," She blushed unexpectedly, looking slightly ashamed as she twiddled a lock of hair around her index finger. "I wanted to thank her for saving my life."

"Well how was she?" I forgot to mind my tone and impatience slithered its way back in.

Kagome-chan shook her head sadly. "I only saw her through the window in the door before they took her to emergency surgery. She's been out ever since."

I didn't care if she was unconscious or not I still wanted to see her. "Can we see her now?"

Again, Kagome-chan shook her head. "She's in intensive care, no visitors allowed. She was … she got hit pretty badly. She still has two more surgeries to fully repair her shoulder."

With a gruff clearing of his throat, Inuyasha injected himself into the conversation again. "That's another thing," he said, getting a very strange look on his face. "Sesshomaru apparently wants to talk to you about Sango too."

I looked at him quickly. "What? Why?"

Inuyasha shrugged, though I was able to identify the strange look on his face as disagreement. But what was he in disagreement about? Sesshomaru-san wanting to talk to me about Sango or what he had to say about Sango? I had a feeling that Inuyasha knew that answer as well, but it didn't look like he was coughing it up.

I nodded, made a quick decision, and started kicking the bed sheets off my legs.

"Hey!" Kagome-chan jumped off my bed to avoid getting knocked around and watched me, dumbfounded as I struggled to stand up; getting tangled in the IV tubes for my effort.

"What are you doing, Miroku?" Inuyasha demanded exasperatedly, grabbing his crutches and using them to boost himself to his feet.

"We're going to see Sesshomaru-san," I informed the both of them astutely, "If he wants to talk to me so badly, why not go tonight?"

"Because you can't be checked out until morning!" Despite her protest, Kagome-chan reached out to steady the IV pole as I accidently knocked it over as I finally climbed out of bed.

I turned to her, grabbing the open back of the hospital gown I wore as a sudden breeze chilled unaccustomed areas. "Kagome-chan," I feigned reproach, giving her a haughty smile. "Kagome-chan, Kagome-chan, Kagome-chan. Have you no faith in my persuasive abilities?"

Exchanging another look with Inuyasha, Kagome-chan rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in defeat. "Why do I even bother?"

* * *

To say the look on Sesshomaru-san's face as we pulled up to the police station promptly at nine-fifteen was less than pleased would be a horrendous understatement. He had apparently been the last one out of the station that night and was just locking the gates on the entryway door as our cab pulled up. I stepped out quickly, clothed in jeans and a T-shirt and wearing a sling to help support my heavily bandaged right hand.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded angrily, his face reddening in ire as Inuyasha climbed out the cab last.

"I heard you wanted to talk," I said coolly, walking over to him offering my left hand in a wary, but more or less friendly gesture. I'd figured we could put the tumultuous nature of our relationship behind us now that Kumo was ended, but it didn't appear to be that way. He eyed my offered hand with disdain and didn't take it.

"You can wait until morning," he insisted coldly, and continued marching towards the parking garage next door.

"I'm afraid I can't, Sesshomaru-san." I jogged clumsily to catch up with him, my strapped-down arm making the motion slightly unbalanced. "You see, Inuyasha told me you wanted to talk, and well, the sooner the better, right?"

Behind me, Inuyasha huffed in irritation and grumbled under his breath. "Dammit, keep your mouth shut, Miroku."

I ignored him, following after Sesshomaru-san resolutely until we reached his car and he suddenly paused before unlocking the driver's side door. He turned to me, looking nothing short of impatient and absolutely furious as he studied me momentarily.

"I take it Inuyasha also informed you that the case of Hakudoshi looks to be going nowhere?"

I nodded, cautiously surprised at his apparent agreement to talk with me tonight.

Sesshomaru-san nodded as well, narrowing his eyes into contemplative slits. "I had hoped that perhaps with your cooperation, we'd be able to get something from him, but I was wrong." He stuck the key into the lock on his car door. "Apparently, he won't talk to anyone but Mizushima."

My brow furrowed in befuddlement. "But why? Hakudoshi-san hates Sango."

Sesshomaru-san sighed heavily and turned the key in the lock before he looked back to me. "Yes, but seeing as the two of them are the only ones left from Kumo with even remotely warranted statuses, he seems to have taken an interest in camaraderie."

I nearly choked and my eyes widened in morbid amazement. Holy shit! Sesshomaru-san had managed to take down nearly all of Kumo conglomerate in one night.

He continued, "However, it doesn't matter now. I was thinking that you'd be the one to convince Mizushima to talk with him, as you see; further interaction with any members of Kumo was not part of our plea deal. It would simply be a favor, though it may persuade the judge to lighten her sentence passed what I've offered."

"Uh," my mind was furiously trying to understand exactly what Sesshomaru-san wanted of me. At first, his need to talk with me seemed unnecessary, though I quickly figured out what he meant by convincing Sango to grant him his "favor."

"What exactly is yours and Sango's bargain?" I finally asked slowly.

"Merely less prison time in exchange for a guilty plea and aiding officers with the dismantling of Kumo conglomerate."

I was taken aback. "That's it?"

Sesshomaru-san waved his hand dismissively. "There'll be some legal manners we'll sort out regarding her brother, but essentially yes, that's it." He opened his car door and looked at me pointedly. "Are there any other matters pressing you so urgently or am I free to go home?"

I shook my head, though even I wasn't quite sure what I was negating. "If I have to persuade Sango to do something I know she doesn't want to do, then there's got to be something better in it for her."

Sesshomaru-san cocked a perturbed eyebrow. "Like what?"

Again, I shook my head, though my intent was clear. "I don't want her to serve any time. At all. She's already been through so much; let her go."

The chief of police's face turned so red I swore literal steam burst from his ears. "Absolutely not."

Inuyasha wacked the back of my leg with one of his crutches reproachfully. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he hissed lowly.

"I'm serious," I insisted, ignoring Inuyasha and the pain he'd caused my calf, "Pin everything on Hakudoshi-san and leave Sango out of this."

"No," Sesshomaru-san reiterated angrily. "Even if I were to agree to this asinine plan, there's no evidence to back up the claim."

I shrugged this off. "Sure there is. According to Sango, killing me in the first place was Hakudoshi-san's job. You heard her yourself; he's the one who planted that bomb, remember?"

Sesshomaru-san's eyes narrowed again dangerously. "Your word with the word of an admitted killer will not hold water with the judge and jury, I assure you."

"What about my word?"

I whipped around, surprised by the sudden interjection from Kagome-chan, who stepped up to Sesshomaru-san from her spot next to Inuyasha. The chief slowly let his eyes slide to hers intimidatingly though she didn't waver. Extreme gratitude and pride began to percolate in my chest; it seemed that Kagome-chan had finally developed a sense of loyalty to me and was now willing to jump to my defense and aid. The fact that Sango had, as she herself said, saved her life didn't hurt matters either.

"Pardon?" Sesshomaru-san snapped irritably.

"In the underground tunnel," Kagome-chan elaborated. "Sango said she wasn't even supposed to be involved and that Naraku only put her on the case when Hakudoshi-san messed up."

I jumped in again, eager to once again add my two cents. "And besides the poisoning, she didn't want to actually carry out the contract anyway." During her confession, Sango had admitted to being the one who'd poisoned me that night, and I was starting to wish she'd left it ambiguous, as I initially had. It would be a lot easier to clear her name now if she had. At the last minute, I quickly added, "Against which I won't be pressing charges, by the way."

Sesshomaru-san's nostrils flared in indignant anger. "We have video evidence of her willingly obeying Naraku's order to kill Higurashi. That coupled with Higurashi's testimony—"

"I won't testify against her," Kagome-chan interrupted hastily. "She saved my life, and besides, let's not forget Inuyasha's quick-acting on getting the officers in there in time to make sure she didn't pull the trigger."

Out of my peripherals, I noticed as Inuyasha subtly puffed up his chest, smug and enjoying the praise from his girlfriend.

Sesshomaru-san eyed us scornfully for a moment before he let out a heavy sigh. I watched him carefully, trying to figure the mental gears ticking in his brain as he weighed his options. Even he had to admit that the case against Sango was looking pretty bleak too; any so-called concrete evidence had, unfortunately for him, remained too vague to be admissible in any fair court.

Finally he spoke, looking nothing short of highly pissed both with me and at the situation. "I expect you to hold up your end of the deal," he informed me pointedly.

I nodded quickly, immediately knowing he was referring to my convincing of Sango to talk to Hakudoshi-san.

"I still don't trust her," Sesshomaru-san continued, folding his arms and leaving his car door opened as he explained his revised plea deal with the three of us. "I want her under supervised probation. At least six months."

I could tell he was trying to be reasonable, but I still didn't like it. Shaking my head, I countered, "Three."

"Six months or no deal," he shot back, hotly emphasizing each word. I had no choice but to acquiesce.

"Fine, but just assign her an officer," I insisted, "None of that ankle-monitor shit."

Sesshomaru-san tilted his head slightly, silently, if somewhat crossly, confirming my terms as agreeable. He went on describing more conditions, "I expect her to come by the police station, for recorded sessions with Kikyo, once a week until I myself discontinue them."

Again, I nodded, though this time somewhat begrudgingly. My sessions with Kikyo hadn't helped shit, what good would they do Sango?

"I want that brother of hers enrolled in a good school, and I'll leave it to you to keep him out of trouble," he finished, giving me an expectant look.

Giving him a third and final nod, I briefly wondered when I had become Kohaku-kun's supervisor. I suppose I had promised Sango I'd look after him, but that was back when we both thought she was going to jail.

Sesshomaru-san exchanged a disgruntled look with Inuyasha before he climbed into his car, making his much belated departure. "I'll trust you to inform Mizushima of this recent change." He appeared to be directing this at his brother, but I took the initiative anyway.

"I will," I promised, issuing frustrated looks from both Sesshomaru-san and Inuyasha.

The chief of police didn't address us further, opting to slam his door and start the engine almost hurriedly. He speeded out of the parking garage, leaving Inuyasha, Kagome-chan and I behind and in need of another cab.

Inuyasha turned to me, clearly miffed and scrutinizing. "What the hell was that, Miroku?" he demanded, and for a moment I was a little afraid he was going to brandish his crutches as me like a weapon again. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

"Yeah," I insisted, choosing to play dumb. "I gave Sango a chance at a real life."

He sighed heavily, shaking his head in disagreement. "Sometimes people don't get a chance at a life," he told me, his voice low and almost remorseful.

I looked at him with incredulity. "You're saying she doesn't deserve one? Dammit, Inuyasha, whose side are you on? I thought you liked Sango." I actually didn't have any proof to back up that last statement, just assumptions.

"It doesn't matter if I like her or not!" he retorted, too feverishly to be an unfeeling denial. I didn't miss the present-tense change to the verb. My assumptions were right: Sango had grown on Inuyasha, and if my experiences with her were any indication, it wasn't surprising. She had that effect.

"This is about right and wrong," Inuyasha continued assertively. "This is about making sure somebody pays for all the shit Kumo's been up to for God only knows how long."

"Inuyasha," Kagome-chan unexpectedly inserted herself into the conversation again, touching his shoulder comfortingly. "Sango isn't a bad person, and you know that."

He turned on her, looking indignant and offended that she wasn't taking his side. "So what if I do? Like I said, it doesn't matter!"

"But it does," Kagome-chan stressed over his words, "Because you know, deep down, that if Sango goes to jail, it wouldn't be right. She's redeemed herself, and Miroku-sensei and Yamaguchi-san have given her a chance." Abruptly her calming and almost motherly demeanor altered and she grew fierce. "Don't take it away from her!"

Inuyasha glared at her for a moment before finally breaking with a frustrated huff. "Fine," he said simply, turning his gaze upward and away from her. Kagome-chan smiled and shook her head amusedly at his childish pout.

I grinned gratefully at Kagome-chan, slightly impressed with the power she had over Inuyasha. I took back what I said to Kikyo-san; this relationship wasn't the result of some sort of hero-fetish. This was a couple meant to last, I was sure of it.

The three of us shared a cab home, and I climbed out of the passenger seat as the cab pulled in front of my apartment complex, our first stop. I caught a glimpse of the rather comfortable looking pair in the back seat and doubted seriously that they'd spend the night alone. I chuckled once to myself, enjoying a private joke made at their expense tapped in the entry code to the complex, digging around in my pocket for my penthouse key.

Though I'd stopped by briefly after charming my way out of the hospital tonight to change, this was the first time in over a month that I'd really been back in my apartment, back home. It was strange, seeing it exactly the way I left it. The only clue to my absence was sitting right by me as I walked in the door: the suitcase I'd packed for my stay in protective custody. I figured Sesshomaru-san had somebody drop it by for me when we'd first got back a few days ago.

Too exhausted to enjoy the nostalgia of being home again, I immediately traipsed off to my bedroom and collapsed on the mattress, fully clothed and uncaring. I wondered how much longer I could put off going to work; now that I was home and more or less better, I supposed Hachi would prefer me return as soon as possible. I decided to give myself at least a day to catch up on sleep, adjust to the painkillers the nurse had given me, unpack and visit Sango. Sighing, I rolled onto my stomach and groaned into my pillow. My day of rest was already sounding tiresome. The sixteen hours of rest I'd gotten had done nothing to prepare me.

I was on the brink of sleep when something occurred to me, jarring me almost completely awake.

It was when Hakudoshi-san had the gun aimed at my forehead, and in my panic I'd compiled a list of last regrets, one of which being remorse at not being able to tell Sango something. Even back then, I had no idea what I wanted to tell her specifically, but the overwhelming feeling of importance and necessity behind the urge made the regret feel like a damning mistake. And right now, as I laid in bed those same feelings were enough to make me want to run back to the hospital now and demand to see her.

I shook my head, trying to calm my thoughts. I could see her tomorrow, talk to her tomorrow. A tired, stupid grin came to my face as I relaxed. Tomorrow. Sango would still be here tomorrow. And the next day, and the day after that. She'd have a life, one actually worth living, and now I actually believed I could be a part of it.

Sleep overtook me easily then, and I fell into slumber with that same stupid grin on my face. Naraku was dead, Hakudoshi-san arrested, Kumo permanently defeated, Sango was a free woman and I made it out alive. Things were finally going to be alright.


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Sept 20th-Oct 15th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Chapter Seventeen: September 20****th****-October 15****th**

I watched in blank interest as news of Ueno Naraku's death scrolled slowly across the bottom of the television screen for the umpteenth time that day. It was slightly ridiculous; before news of Hakudoshi-san's arrest and his conviction of the bomb placed in the entryway of my building, nobody knew anything about the former head of the Kumo conglomerate. Yet the news of his death had, in just two short days, taken the world by storm.

Personally, I had already grown tired of the endless news reports. I'd always preferred my company to avoid this kind of sensationalistic media, and it now appeared that preference was sensible. It wasn't so much that work got any more difficult (after Kagome-chan got back from her extended sick leave, it actually improved monumentally) it was more that the stigma of being connected to this type of news story quickly grew annoying. I'd had more than enough of reporters shoving microphones and recorders in my face trying to insinuate that I'd been closely involved with Kumo, or even Naraku. One even tried accusing me of granting Hakudoshi-san the insurance policy he'd been originally after, though that rumor was sufficiently—violently—put to rest.

As a result, much of the past day I'd spent in the hospital visiting with Sango. She slept a lot as a result of the heavy doses of painkillers they had flowing into her IV continuously after her first surgery, but just being in her company was relaxing enough. Not to mention the nurses and doctors would nearly explode if they caught a news reporter trying to sneak their way in. I was more or less free to just sit and watch Sango as she rested, the only hindrance being the strange looks I often received from the hospital wait staff, who no doubt wondered why somebody like Tsujitani Miroku would spend so much time by the bedside of a young, unknown girl whose only possession was her name.

Sighing, I heaved myself to my feet and reached up to turn the TV off, forgetting that there was a remote to it on the same pad as the nurse-call button. Sango was in her second surgery currently, and I was left to wait around her room until they brought her back. It had taken some crafty insistence, but I was finally able to get the doctor to spill his guts on her entire condition. He didn't seem too willing to give up that kind of information to someone who wasn't family, but when the matter of her lack of medical insurance came up and I jumped in to claim the bills, he coughed up anything and everything I wanted to know.

Sango was scheduled for three surgeries: one to remove the shattered remnants of the bullet casing in her shoulder, the second (and the one she was undergoing right now) to repair torn ligaments and tendons, and the third to implant a new, artificial rotator cuff, as hers had been damaged irreparably. By the sound of things, her injury was every bit as bad as I had imagined it to be, something made even more disheartening when one takes into account that I was known to be melodramatic. This time, however, I hadn't exaggerated her condition, and her total recovery time was depressingly long. She'd already been scheduled for six months of physical therapy to rebuild the motion and strength in her shoulder, though it wasn't to start until she was released from the hospital. The problem was that date had yet to be verified.

Still, I was determined to wait it out with her, if only because her scattered and varied hours of sleep had left me unable to talk with her like I'd hoped. In a way, I supposed I should've been grateful for this, as I still had yet to put my finger on what exactly I wanted to say. Yet at the same time, it was frustrating; looking at her sleeping face, completely relaxed and unresponsive to the massive amounts of pain she should've been in and feeling like I already knew the answer. There were times when I could've sworn I could whisper it in her ear, then my mind would go blank, my mouth dry, and I'd get this peculiar stomach ache, like one of apprehension.

A sudden knocking at the door interrupted my thoughts and I jumped, immediately thinking they'd brought Sango back to her room after her surgery. Then I checked the clock and realized she wasn't due to be out for another half an hour, and the fact that a doctor would knock before entering a patient's room with said patient in tow was a little strange. I sat still for a moment, staring at the door in confusion. Who else would come to visit her? Kohaku-kun accompanied me more often than not, though currently he was sitting on my living room couch presumably playing video games or watching a movie.

Finally I cleared my throat and called out, "Come in." For some reason, it felt weird welcoming a potential stranger into a room that wasn't mine. The door opened and I was surprised as Hachi poked his head in.

"Miroku-sama!" he greeted jovially, though I didn't miss the teasing in his voice either. "How did I know I'd find you here?"

"Hachi," I responded in kind, standing from my seat and gesturing for him to sit in the vacant chair next to mine. "What are you doing here? It's still lunch hour, isn't it? Why aren't you getting something to eat?"

"Why aren't you?" he quipped, looking at me with an eerie amount of understanding.

I shrugged as we simultaneously lowered ourselves into our chairs. "Hospital food isn't very good." I'd intended the vague explanation to dismiss his question entirely, though I was also aware that he knew as well as I that I could've grabbed myself something to eat on the way over.

Even so, Hachi only chuckled to himself as he settled back into his chair, folding his overcoat on his lap. "Where's Mizushima-san?" he asked after a moment. "I'd thought she'd be in here if you were."

"She's still in surgery," I explained, glancing up at the clock quickly. "She should be out in about twenty minutes though."

Hachi nodded, following my gaze to the clock before letting his eye drift with an idle interest at the rest of Sango's hospital room.

"The doctor informed me that you're fronting all of her medical expenses," Hachi said after a moment. His words were strictly conversational, though I jumped guiltily at the hidden meaning.

"Well, yeah," I admitted lamely. "She doesn't have any money, Hachi. It's the least I can do."

He looked at me squarely, though his gaze was anything but accusatory. "The least you can do for what? This is the same girl who had a contract out on your life, yes?"

My guilt was immediately overtaken with anger. "She was never going to do it," I insisted hotly, "She told me that herself and I believe her."

Nodding, Hachi discovered a newfound interest in watching as he twiddled his thumbs. "You've also taken her younger brother under your wing." This time, he didn't disguise his pointed comments as an innocent inquiry.

"He's got nowhere else to go," I replied defensively. "And besides, I promised her I would take care of him in her place." Never mind the fact that promise had taken place when we both thought she'd be spending twenty-to-life in prison. For good measure, I added, "Sesshomaru-san personally insisted that I be the one to find him a good school anyway."

Again, Hachi nodded complacently, appearing to not want to cause me any anger, though my suspicious irritation was already set. It wasn't as though he was being argumentative; his questions were soaked in sincerity and that same weird sense of empathy. I suddenly got the feeling that he understood a lot more than he was letting on about my relationship with Sango, and even her brother, Kohaku-kun.

It made me a little paranoid, and I started wondering if there was anything wrong with what I was doing here. So what if I spent every bit of free time I had at Sango's bed side? So what if I'd spent more money on video games and movies in the past twelve hours than I'd spent on them in my entire life, trying to entertain Kohaku-kun while he stayed with me? What did it matter, anyway, that I spent my money on their insurance and entertainment? I had more than enough to last me ten lifetimes and I was making more every day. It was mine to spend how I wanted, right?

I was sinking further and further into my frustrated thoughts that when Sango's door suddenly swung open widely and two nurses and the doctor wheeled her bed back in, I gave a terrible start. Sango was still unconscious from anesthesia and her left shoulder was newly bandaged and strapped down carefully, to ensure she couldn't move it. Hachi and I watched silently as the two nurses hooked Sango's bed back to the wall mount and started attaching various tubes from the IV to her right wrist. The doctor mumbled various orders while rifling through the papers on his clipboard, prescribing dosages and telling them when to switch out the medicines in her IV. Turning to me, he folded his hands together, his clipboard turned towards him and supported between one of his hands and his arm.

"The surgery went very well," he informed me blandly. "Everything is right on track and she should be doing fine. We'll give her a couple days' rest, then schedule the third surgery."

I nodded. "Okay. Thank you."

The doctor nodded at me in return then, bidding one more order to the nurses and left. The nurses finished up their own tasks and started to take their leave, though one turned back to be on her way out.

"We'll be back in a couple hours to check on her vitals again," she said.

I gave another nod and the nurses left as well, swinging the door shut behind them. Hachi's gaze was boring a hole into the side of my face but I didn't let my eyes falter from Sango's sleeping form. She did appear to be looking better, though her blackened and cut eye from Naraku's blow still marred the right side of her face. The gash along her socket bone had actually required two or three stitches, and looking at them made me subconsciously run my tongue along the inside of my bottom lip, feeling the tug of my own stitches.

Finally, my gaze broke from Sango as I looked down at my right hand, still heavily bandaged but without its sling. It had been a little hard to adjust to the injury, if only because I was right-handed, and the fact that the gauze had been wrapped all the way up to my second knuckles prohibited too much movement. I'd finally been able to see what it actually looked like when they'd changed the bandages and was a little shocked to examine the extent of the damage. Seeing it for myself had had a weird effect on me; I was morbidly insistent that the scarring be left unrepaired, if only because it left me with some physical memento of all that'd I'd been through.

Sighing, I dropped my hand and returned my gaze to Sango, watching as her chest rose and fell steadily with deep, slumbering breaths evenly passing through slightly open lips. I could still feel Hachi's eyes watching me, though for some reason, his gaze wasn't as uncomfortable as I'd initially imagined it to be. It felt challenging somehow, though not unwelcome and I viewed it as a kind of game, a test to see if his creepily understanding observation would make me waver from Sango guiltily. I felt certain it wouldn't.

He was the first to break the silence, sliding comfortably back into our conversation from before. "You've invested a lot of yourself with this young girl and her brother, you know."

His words were far from reproving and I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess I have."

Checking the clock, Hachi sighed mildly and hefted himself to his feet. "Looks like my lunch is just about up. I should be on my way."

I winced as I cast my own glance at the clock. My lunch was nearing its end as well, though I didn't particularly feel like leaving with Sango still passed out from surgery.

Hachi read my thoughts and stalled me with a gestured hand as I made to rise from my chair. "Stay. I'll cover you."

My brow furrowed in confusion despite my gratefulness. I sank back into my chair and stared at him for a moment, trying to decide if there was a deeper meaning to his words than simply offering to cover my absence at work. Considering how much I'd missed recently, asking him to cover any more seemed like far too much. With another wave of his hand, Hachi answered my unasked question, though his solution was completely unexpected and blatantly surprising.

"I understand, Miroku-sama. People do these things for the ones they love."

Chuckling lightly at the no doubt comically dumbfounded look on my face, Hachi excused himself from the room and shut the door soundly behind him. I stared at Sango's sleeping face in overwhelming realization and slight foolishness. Of course that was it. I loved her. I was in love with her. Suddenly my fantasies of having her join me and her brother in my apartment after her check-out didn't seem so out of place and awkward anymore. The important thing that I had wanted to tell her for a few days now—this was it: I love you, Sango. It felt so natural and right to say it to myself that I almost wanted to shake her awake to tell her how I felt now.

Then the stupidity of not figuring it out sooner slapped me in the face and I sank back into my chair in embarrassment.

I was fairly certain I had never felt the emotion before, at least not romantically towards a woman, though this did little to console the stupidity away. Realizing this made me question myself and I began to wonder if I would even know what loving somebody felt like. And when did it even happen in the first place? Our initial interactions had been relatively hostile, and I tried to decide if it were even possible for me to fall in love with her while she still appeared to be very intent on killing me. The inconsistencies surrounding the whole situation were more than enough to cause me to seriously doubt, though this only caused a strange sensation to stab at my heart and conscience, like when one tries to convince themselves of a lie.

Was I in love with her? I still wasn't sure, but it was very possible. What was certain was that I had no intention of living without her.

* * *

Sango's third surgery was scheduled three days after her second, and the week after she was finally able to stay awake throughout most of the day, even sitting up in bed and eating real food instead of receiving nutrients via IV. Unsurprisingly, I was once again at her bedside, though this time I'd swung by my apartment after leaving work to pick up Kohaku-kun. It was his last weekend off before he started middle school at Edo Public, the same school attended by Kagome-chan's little brother Sota and Inuyasha's niece (Sesshomaru-san's daughter) Rin. I was sure the police chief had less than agreeable opinions about Kohaku-kun attending the same school, though he had charged me with finding a good place for education, and Edo Public was the best in the inner Tokyo area.

The three of us sat in Sango's hospital room, picking at the mountain of snack foods and drinks that Sango had ordered from the cafeteria. The TV was on and flickered monotonously in the background, though the attention it garnered was only fleeting as we focused on discussing Kohaku-kun's schooling and calming his nerves about the following Monday.

"I mean, I've never even been to school before. How will I know what to do or where to go?" Kohaku-kun picked through a box of chocolates nervously.

"I'm sure they'll show you around, right?" Sango looked to me for confirmation, as the last time she'd attended school had been the fifth grade.

I nodded, laughing once as Kohaku-kun finally popped a chocolate into his mouth and grimaced upon discovering the filling was rum-flavored. "Right," I agreed, "And it's not like you've never had schooling. You said yourself you've been homeschooled." He'd passed the required placement exam too, making sure he was equipped to start school in the proper grade.

Kohaku-kun nodded as well, spitting the half-chewed chocolate into a tissue and tossing it into the trash. "Yeah, I guess." He still sounded unenthusiastic.

"Hey," Sango said consolingly, reaching out with her uninjured arm and holding his wrist in a comforting manner. "It'll be alright. Kagome-chan's brother goes to the same school, remember? You already have a friend there."

Sota and Kohaku-kun had been introduced a few days ago when Kagome-chan brought her brother along to visit Sango. While the two girls had managed to form an amazing friendship in such a short amount of time, their younger brothers had also managed to get along rather well.

"Sota is in the grade below, though," Kohaku-kun said dejectedly. "Who knows how often I'll see him?"

"Well you're going to have to make new friends then," I cut in encouragingly. "Look for a girl named Rin; she's in your grade!"

Both Kohaku-kun's and Sango's brow furrowed as they looked at me, sniggering to myself at my private joke. Oh, I was sure Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san would love this.

"Rin?" Kohaku-kun verified doubtfully.

"Yeah," I nodded, still sniggering, "Yamaguchi Rin."

At the mention of her last name, Sango's eyes widened angrily and she scowled at me, though I only grinned in return. It seemed she was just as enthusiastic about Kohaku-kun possibly interacting with Rin as Sesshomaru-san would be. I however, stood by my advice. I didn't know much about her other than her relatives, but Rin still could make a good friend.

Kohaku-kun nodded and dared to bite into another mystery chocolate. Deciding he liked this one much better, he gave another, more affirmative nod. "Okay. Maybe she'll be in my class."

"She will be," I confirmed, knowing I'd managed to get him into the B class, also attended by the kids of many of my upper middle class clients and colleagues. No doubt the daughter of the police chief would also be in attendance.

Sango and I talked him further into relaxing, and after a few short minutes, Kohaku-kun was his normal self again, cheerful and complacent. He excused himself after a moment, making a quick bathroom break. With nothing to distract us, our attention turned back to the TV, which currently displayed another news stream depicting the vague details of Ueno Naraku's death.

Her brow furrowing, Sango let out a heavy sigh as the announcer on screen rattled off the same information that had been given on every station for the past two weeks.

"I can't believe he's dead," she mumbled quietly, her tone indescribable.

I looked at her for a moment. "Aren't you glad? His death means it's really over, doesn't it?"

She was quiet for a minute, and I was unnerved by my inability to place the emotion etched into her face. "Yeah, I s'pose."

"Sango," I reached for her hand subconsciously, running my thumb over her soft skin and being mindful of her IV tubes and injection site. I was more certain now than I had been before that I loved her, and once again I was nearly overwhelmed with the desire to tell her, though an entirely new doubt silenced me once again. I had no idea if she loved me back. The insecurity of not knowing and the subsequent hesitancy over telling her how I felt was extremely uncomfortable, though I wasn't quite sure how to throw it yet. For now, I had to settle on being content to spend time with her.

Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes and she shut them instead of letting them fall, and again I wanted to console her with a kiss to the forehead or cheek, though I didn't dare move. Our relationship had turned decidedly platonic and I wasn't sure if kissing her would cross any barriers that I was unaware of.

I said her name again, causing her eyes to reluctantly open and turn towards me. Tears no longer fogged them, though the neutrality that had taken their place was disheartening.

"Maybe you shouldn't think about him," I offered lamely, reaching for the TV remote and searching her eyes for permission to turn it off. Though she didn't react in the affirmative, though she didn't give me any objection either and I quickly shut the TV off. Silence fell between us for a moment.

"Does Sesshomaru still want me to talk to Haku?" Sango finally asked, her voice no louder than a whisper.

I nodded. "Yeah. He's refusing to talk to anyone but you. Sesshomaru-san thinks you'll be able to convince him to accept the new bargain."

She gave her own nod, turning back to the TV even though it was now off. Again, I wasn't sure what was going through her mind and I squirmed uncomfortably in my ignorant state. I had no idea what I could say to offer any soothing advice or solace, and subconsciously I scrutinized her, searching for any hint that could clue me in on what I could say.

Sango spoke first. "You're right," she said astutely, her voice tinged with bitterness. "It's over."

Kohaku-kun returned then, and I was unable to figure out what caused her to be bitter over what had filled a great number of people—including myself—a significant amount of relief. Slowly our conversation picked up pace again, though there were times I swore I caught Sango forcing herself to remain a part of the discussion. Her depression was unexpected and I wasn't quite sure how to deal with it. If anything, it made me all the more earnest to be actively involved in her life, to ensure that I could at least try to make her happy.

It became my new goal to see her genuinely smile again.

* * *

I'd received the call I'd been waiting for on my way to the hospital. The doctor had finally released Sango, and I'd jumped at the offer to give her a ride. I left work early, too early for her check-out, though I had to make one last stop before I picked her up. The realtor was waiting on one last signature.

Despite my hopeful fantasies that Sango would come live with me after she was released from the hospital, the closer her check-out day came, the more I came to realize how unrealistic this hope was. I only had one other bedroom besides mine, and as presumptuous as it would've been to have her stay there, having her share the master suite with me was definitely crossing a line. So I did the next best thing I could think of: I found Sango and Kohaku-kun an apartment of their own, newly furnished and just the perfect distance between my place and my company. The deal had gone through just in time and I zipped over quickly to sign the lease, quickly running over the script I'd improvised to inform Sango of the surprise. Picking up Kohaku-kun from school later in the afternoon and simply driving him there would be sufficient enough for him.

Pulling haphazardly into the parking garage of the hospital, I dashed down the levels until I reached Sango's floor. They had her out next to the receptionist's desk, all disconnected from her IV and sporting a new sling for her shoulder, one that strapped her arm at a careful ninety degree angle and held it firm to her waist. She was sitting in a wheelchair, looking thoroughly annoyed and bored at once while the doctor handed her post-surgery and post-check-out instructions.

"Hey!" I greeted as I jogged up to them, looking from Sango to the doctor and back to Sango again. "Am I late?"

"Actually, you're just in time," the doctor informed me in the same bland voice he'd always used to address me. "We'll need your signature on some of these insurance forms, and here are her prescriptions she'll need. They're regimented, so make sure she gets them as soon as possible."

I nodded, flipping through each of the insurance papers and hastily scribbling my name where it was needed. I ignored Sango's questioning look as I did this—I'd also managed to keep quiet exactly who was funding her hospital stay. This was the first she'd heard of any expenses I'd be filling. Handing the forms back to the doctor, I gave Sango a slight wink.

"Are we good now?" I asked, patting my pockets down in search of my keys. I hardly ever drove my own car, and as such I was constantly misplacing my keys when I did drive. I found them in my back pocket. "Can we go?"

The doctor skimmed through the insurance forms, verifying each of my scribbled signatures before he nodded. "Yes." He addressed Sango, stepping aside slightly as the nurse pushed her wheelchair over to me. "We'll see you here in a week for a check-up and physical therapy."

Sango saluted him mockingly before slouching back in her wheelchair begrudgingly. I pushed her down the hallway, carefully steering around food carts and IV poles left waiting outside other patients' rooms.

"Are you excited to be out?" I asked her, picking up the pace once we reached clearer hallways. I wondered how she'd take it if I started running.

"Why are you paying my hospital bills?" she responded, her voice pointed and highly inquisitive.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I rebuffed coolly, "I thought I was being kind. If you have the money, by all means, pay me back."

She turned around in her seat, scowling at me before she slapped her free hand to the wheel of her chair, effectively stopping our progress and nearly pitching herself out of her seat. "Let me up," she demanded, "I don't need this stupid thing; I've hurt my shoulder, not my legs."

"I think they have you use it for the rest," I said, though I stepped back obediently as she took the helm of the wheelchair and shoved it out of the way. "They don't want to overexert yourself."

"Oh, please," she scoffed, finally cracking a defiant grin. "I've been bedridden for two-and-a-half weeks; my legs are itching for some exercise."

I didn't argue further, instead falling into step beside her as we made our way back to the parking garage. Curiously, she didn't press the issue of me paying her bills further, seeming to let the matter drop. I figured she'd silently agreed with my rebuff: she didn't have the money to cover them herself.

She remained silent all the way to the parking garage and climbed into the car obediently, not even making a fuss as independent women are wont to do when a man opens their door for them.

"Thank you for the ride," she finally said, after we were about a block away from the hospital.

I glanced at her quickly before returning my eyes to the road. "Anytime," I answered smoothly.

I could feel her watching me, and it took all of my willpower to remain focused on driving. Suddenly feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious, I wondered if she could tell the extra effort I'd put into my routine this morning. Maybe I'd put on a spray too much of cologne? Silence had fallen between us again, though this time is was markedly more uncomfortable than before as I stewed in awkwardness and insecurity. Fuck me, I was thinking like an inexperienced teenager again. I chalked it up to my solidifying feelings for her.

Gratefully, as I drove us further into the residential district, I caught a view of Sango's confused face as she watched tall-rising apartment complexes whip by through her window. I latched onto the opportunity for a distraction.

"Problem?" I inquired teasingly.

I saw her shake her head out of the corner of my eye. "No," she said slowly, and I could feel her eyes study me again. "Where are we going?"

It took everything I had to stop a triumphant grin from sneaking its way onto my face. "You'll see," I informed her vaguely.

Finally, I pulled off to the side of the road momentarily, stalling the car and turning to face Sango the best I could. She watched me warily, and I was certain she was aware that we hadn't yet reached our destination. I grinned at her briefly before casting an arm into the back seat, fishing around for something.

With an eyebrow cocked in suspicion at my searching hand, she cautiously hedged, "What are you doing?"

"Just a sec," I requested, using my right hand to hold up one finger the best I could. The bandaging wasn't as restricting as before, though the repair that the doctor and Hachi sworn by had been slightly exaggerated. My control over the hand was clumsy at best and a large portion of my palm had been rendered unfeeling.

I continued, flashing a grin as I felt my fingers curl around the object I'd been searching for, "We're almost there, but I need you to put this on first." I held up a bandana.

Sango stared at it, flummoxed. "Excuse me?"

"Here," I offered, ignoring her blank inquisitiveness. I gently pushed her to turn her back towards me, and, further ignoring her grunt of protest, tied the bandana around her eyes as a blindfold.

"What the hell is going on, Miroku?" she grumbled irritably, pushing her back into the seat and turning her head blindly towards me.

"Come on," I pleaded lightly. "Just play along, okay?"

She acquiesced, though not without a few more indignant grumbles as I pulled back onto the road. In a few short minutes, we'd reached our destination and I hastily found a place to park, trying to control my excitement. I grabbed her hand once, letting her know we'd stopped before I unbuckled my seatbelt and dashed around to the passenger side to help her out of the car.

"Come on," I repeated, taking her by the hand once more, "We're here."

Sango found more to complain about as I led her to the entrance of the complex, muttering something about my childishness and my uncaringness at how dangerous this was in her condition. I simply laughed it off and ushered her into the elevator.

With one hand on her back and the other on her uninjured shoulder, I led her down the hallway until we reached her apartment, the one I'd been in just a short forty minutes ago to finalize the paperwork. I gripped her waist lightly to get her to stop; delighting in the way she subconsciously bit her lower lip in consternation, I dug around in my pockets again to find the key I'd received.

Opening the door, I stepped in front of her to pull her inside, walking backwards until I deemed her in the perfect position to see the greatest amount of the apartment. I stood directly in front of her, blocking most of her view as I reached around and gently tugged the bandana off. She used her free hand to rub her eyes while I stepped out of the way.

There was a stagnant pause when she finally looked up, and I could tell she'd tensed visibly upon taking in the sight before her. I grinned victoriously, watching as she slowly and mechanically turned her head slightly to the left and right, as if struggling to take it all in. At last, she turned back to me, as if silently asking for permission to explore more of the apartment. I urged her forward, remaining behind as she walked in and out of the two bedrooms and bathrooms, even walking into several closets and the pantry.

She came back into the front room again, looking up at me with some measure of wonder. "Is this mine?" she asked, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

"Yeah," I confirmed, my grin widening as her blush darkened and she glanced around at the furnishings in the front room. "Yours and Kohaku-kun's."

"Oh, Miroku," she breathed, turning away from me to return to the spot I first placed her in. "This is… This is just—this is way too nice…"

I laughed quietly, coming to stand next to her and daring to place my hand on her lower back, carefully (if somewhat reluctantly) being mindful of the new platonic turn our relationship had taken. "I'm glad you like it."

Giving a slight jump, Sango looked up at me, startled and suddenly worried. "What about rent?" she asked intently, "There's no way I can afford this!"

I held up a hand, effectively shushing her fret. "It's been taken care of," I answered vaguely, not particularly wanting to go into the details on the extra rent coming out of my account starting next week.

Her brow creased and she stared at me suspiciously for a moment before shaking her head and apparently dismissing the matter. We both admired the apartment for a moment longer, Sango taking the opportunity to re-explore some of the rooms and kitchen. I waited for her by the door, keeping an eye on the time as it slowly ticked closer to when I was due at Edo Public to pick Kohaku-kun up. His older sister's reaction at seeing their new home made me all the more eager to have him see it too. Sango met up with me after a few minutes, a strange look in her eye.

"Sango," I said bemusedly, "What's up—"

I was surprised as she walked straight into my chest, burying her face in my shirt and using her free arm to clutch a fistful of it around the back. Her affectionate display shocked me and for a moment, I stood unresponsive to her embrace before I snapped out of it and eagerly wrapped both my arms around her, carefully avoiding squeezing her left arm too much. Sango turned her head, resting her ear against my chest as I laid my cheek on the top of her head, making a mental note of how good her hair smelled despite being in the hospital for so long.

"Thank you," she muttered earnestly, her voice sounding both shaky and strong at once.

"I—" I paused, my stomach clenching as I stiffened discreetly. I'd almost said it—that I loved her. I was certain now, more certain than I had ever been of anything in my entire life. I loved Sango, I wanted her more than anything, and that terrified me.

"You're welcome," I finally replied lamely, bringing her as tightly in as I dared with her wounded shoulder pressed between us. I cursed myself for not having the guts to finish what I'd really wanted to say.

I had to go pick up Kohaku-kun after that, and my mind was a whirlwind of questions and uncertainties. I was just grateful that Sango had opted to stay behind, wanting to settle in as best she could and make her new apartment look as homey as possible for when her younger brother saw it, leaving me free to frown and curse randomly as I wrestled with my latest problem. If I was certain of it, why couldn't I say it? I could admit it to myself just fine—I was very much in love with her, though for some reason I choked when I'd gone to say it before. At this rate I wondered if I'd ever be able to tell her.

I shook this off, not wanting to picture a life where I never told her and was forced to watch as she slipped through my fingers. She had to be mine, and someday—preferably soon—she'd have to know that.

* * *

It had been almost a month since we'd infiltrated Kumo. Sango had progressed in physical therapy at an unexpected rate, and they'd already switched her out into a less-restrictive sling. My own bandages and been completely removed and I let my wounded hand scar unhindered, still intent on keeping it as a reminder. Both mine and Sango's stitches had been removed quite some time ago, and while her first couple sessions with Kikyo-san had gotten off to a rocky start, everything seemed to be finally progressing forward into normalcy. Or as normal as we could get. Adjusting completely into the life of a regular, law-abiding citizen was going to take some getting used to.

Sesshomaru-san had seen that Sango sat down with Hakudoshi-san, and remarkably, had somehow convinced him to take the bargain the chief placed before him, even though it pinned Sango's crimes on him. He seemed to be proud to take credit for her work, never minding the fact that it would cost him twenty-five-to-life without the chance of parole. While I wondered if Hakudoshi-san had finally legitimately cracked, everyone else seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as the case against him was at last allowed to progress.

Inuyasha had been assigned as the officer in charge of Sango while she was under probation, though his sessions usually insisted of him coming over, asking a few general questions, staying unnecessarily late and inviting himself over for dinner. As I was over for dinner at Sango's apartment nearly every night, I found myself hypocritically angry at the extra effort Inuyasha was putting her through.

And as for me, renewed pressures from the Board committee that I finally settle down and get married had done nothing to help my relationship with Sango, which depressingly, had not progressed any. I found myself wondering what our kisses before had meant, if they'd meant anything at all to Sango, though this only made the fact that I still hadn't managed to tell her how I felt all the more frustrating. I knew my fraternization with her would be forced to an early end if I didn't confess; the Board was itching to push me into a relationship that they deemed would be fruitful to the company and cease my interaction with this girl they labeled a nobody.

Despite the stress of this routine, Sango and I, and the rest, were able to take a few moments to relax and enjoy each other's company. It was the last weekend of variably good weather before the news stations predicted the winter storms to be settling in, and the four of us—Inuyasha, Kagome-chan, Sango, and I decided to take Sota, Kohaku-kun, and Rin-chan (who incidentally, got along fantastically with Kohaku-kun, much to her father's chagrin) to the park for one last picnic. After eating an incredibly prepared meal, courtesy of Kagome-chan, our group started to spread out: the kids ran out to play with a Frisbee Sota had packed, Inuyasha and Kagome-chan were content to lay out on the checkered picnic blanket and enjoy their moment alone, while Sango and I meandered through the park, watching as other children played and people walked their dogs.

I could tell that Sango had something on her mind again—she always seemed to be deep in thought nowadays, and I debated whether or not I dared asking what was the matter. Such a question was not always welcomed, I'd learned. We walked in silence for a bit, coming across an unoccupied bench and I followed Sango's lead as she sat down. She still made no effort at conversation and I instinctively didn't press for one, instead choosing to concentrate on keeping warm against the frigid October chill.

Tucking her scarf closer around her neck, Sango finally let out a heavy sigh. "What are you doing, Miroku?"

Her question caught me off-guard and I stared at her, too baffled to answer. What was I doing about what? Had I done something wrong? She didn't seem accusatory or demanding, though it pushed me into warily protecting myself nonetheless.

"Um…" I finally hedged lamely, "What?"

"What are you doing?" she repeated, more pointedly than before. "Why are you doing this?"

Her ill-defined questions began to irritate me and I retorted impatiently with one of my own. "Would you care to be more specific?"

She turned to me, swinging one leg over the bench so she could face me fully. Rattling off a list one by one she said, "The apartment, the rent, the medical bills. You pay for everything. You go out of your way to make sure you take me to my physical therapy appointments and my sessions with Kikyo-san, _and_ you're there to take Kohaku to and from school."

I stared at her again, once again too perplexed to answer. Finally, I shrugged dismissively. "So? Can't I just be nice?"

"It's going beyond being nice," Sango complained, tossing her free hand into the air for emphasis. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it's greatly appreciated, but everything you do, and how much time you spend with us … well, frankly it's getting a little weird."

My eyebrow cocked in amusement and I started laughing—I couldn't help it. All of my effort to be a part of her life, and I ended up creeping her out instead. It was so fucking perfect. I sardonically wondered if telling her I loved her at this point would help at all; it would certainly explain my behavior, though I might drive her away permanently. Sango didn't seem as amused as I was with my reaction, and she frowned while I unsuccessfully tried to tame my laughter.

"Sorry," I finally said when I had myself more or less under control again. "You just surprised me, was all. I'm sorry I've made you feel that way."

"Are you?" she demanded, immediately latching onto my less-than-apologetic apology. "Because you sure don't sound like it."

I nodded, holding my hands up submissively. "I am," I insisted unconvincingly. I could feel her frustration, and I sympathized with her, whether she knew it or not. For a month now I'd been dealing with the increasing urge of wanting to tell her how I felt, but then she'd say or do something that made me not want to change or hurry anything about our relationship and let nature take its course. Remembering the pressure from the Board, I knew that it was now or never.

Still, I paused for a moment longer, taking in one last moment to study her face; her nose and cheeks were slightly reddened from the cold, her eyes were watching me closely and defiantly, and every once in a while her breath would puff out visibly from her lips. This could quite possibly be the last time I got to be with her—if she rejected me I'd probably be invited over for significantly less dinners.

Slowly, I pulled my hands out from the warmth of my coat pockets and cupped her face, watching her eyes carefully for any sign on objection. She blinked rapidly a few times, the fluttering of her lashes reminding me of a similar technique employed by ruthless female flirters. I grinned impishly as I felt her face warm up beneath my touch and my grin widened upon seeing her own lips subconsciously twitch towards a smile.

"I love you," I said, immediately feeling a tremendous weight being lifted as I confessed. Suddenly saying it once didn't feel like nearly enough and I repeated myself emphatically, sweeping my thumbs across her flushed cheeks. "I _love_ you."

She looked surprised, though something in her eyes told me she'd been suspicious of my feelings all along. The confirming hope I also saw in those golden brown pools, however, was something I only dreamed of. My fear of rejection dropped some as I methodically drew her face closer to mine. Just before we kissed, I paused, abruptly distracted by a new, heinously crazy idea.

"Miroku?" Sango whispered, sounding confused and slightly dejected.

I studied her intently, the impish grin returning to my face as I brushed my fingers playfully through her bangs. "Just a second," I responded mischievously, "I have an idea."

Unexpectedly she pulled away, apparently irritated at my abrupt change in mood. "What?" She didn't sound at all interested in what exactly my plan entailed.

Grabbing her free hand, I brought it to my lips and quickly kissed the back of it, hoping to regain her good graces. "Bear with me," I pleaded, "And come on, we have to hurry." I tugged her arm, bringing her effortlessly to her feet and leading her back down the path we'd taken on our walk.

"Miroku, what the hell?" Sango demanded from behind me. "Let me go!"

I shook my head, briefly casting a look back at her over my shoulder. "I can't. You're just going to have to trust me."

She huffed. "Like hell. Tell me where we're going at least."

Again, I shook my head, ignoring the questioning looks from Inuyasha and Kagome-chan as I led Sango passed them, heading for my waiting car.

"Miroku-sensei? Where are you going?" Kagome-chan was on her feet, curiously following after Sango and I, causing Inuyasha and the kids to pick up the pace behind her.

"We'll be back in a while," I answered vaguely. "You won't miss us, I promise."

"Hold on a second!" Sango dug her feet into the soft earth, forcing me to a stop for fear of tugging on her too hard and hurting her. "I'm not taking another step until you tell me what's going on in that twisted brain of yours!"

I looked at her, nonplussed, before promptly scooping her up into my arms, bridal-style. "Okay," I agreed, finding the courage to grin triumphantly under the death glare she now sent me. "That's fine by me."

"Ugh!" She struggled in my arms, though any effort to push herself away caused too much jostling and pain to her recovering shoulder. "Miroku! Put me down!"

"Oi, Miroku," Inuyasha was limping as fast as his still-braced leg could carry him. "I'd listen to her if I were you!"

"No, no," I insisted, gently wresting Sango into compliance as I buckled her into the passenger seat. "It'll all be okay, you'll see." I didn't offer any further answers and I ran around to the driver's side and hurriedly climbed in, hardly checking my blind spots before speeding towards a predetermined destination.

Sango glowered in the seat next to me, refusing to look at me and pursing her lips tightly. She was pouting, though I was still riding high on the spontaneity of my plan. Everything about her reaction after I told her I loved her spurred me forward, completely unafraid of my next move.

"You didn't let me say it back," she muttered unexpectedly, sinking further into her seat and still refusing to look at me as her blush deepened.

I nearly slammed on my brakes in the middle of the road at hearing her say this, and I fought to keep my voice level as I asked cautiously, "Pardon?"

She sighed, apparently frustrated at having to repeat herself. "You didn't let me say anything." I noted that she'd changed her statement slightly from before, as if trying to give the impression that her response was still unknown to me, though I knew better.

We'd reached our destination and I pulled into a parking spot and cut the engine, though I didn't move to get out of the car. I watched Sango's eyes widen considerably and her blush darken further as she took in exactly where I'd taken us.

"If you don't say it now," I informed her carefully, "I'm about to make the biggest fool out of myself."

Tearing her eyes away from the jeweler's window display, she looked at me, disbelieving and uncertain. "I-I…" she stammered, unable to form words.

I smiled, then upon hearing the familiar-sounding engine of Kagome-chan's car as she pulled up into the spot next to mine, hurriedly unbuckled myself and dashed over to help Sango out of the car before Kagome-chan and the rest could climb out of hers. I hadn't anticipated that they followed me. I was going to make enough of a public spectacle of myself inside the jeweler's; I didn't need my friends witnessing it first-hand too.

Pulling Sango into the store, I took a moment to mentally give thanks to a slow business day; only two other couples where in the store: one looking at a display of heart-shaped necklaces and the other discussing the price of a Rolex watch with a service rep. I lead Sango to the rings, before facing her resolutely and dropping to my knees, barely noticing the fact that Inuyasha, Kagome-chan, Kohaku-kun, Sota, and Rin-chan were all crowded by the door, watching me intently.

"Sango," I started, grabbing her free hand and holding firmly in both of my own, "I love you so damn much, and the thought of living my life without you scares the shit out of me." I heard a slight groan from Kagome-chan, though I figured blunt honesty was my best romantic option at this point. I continued, "So please, Sango, please don't make me live my life without you. I need you, I want you with every fiber of my being, I'm begging you; marry me."

Sango stared at me unblinkingly, her face redder than I could've possibly imagined. "U-um," she stuttered, glancing around at the clerks and customers, who as soon as I dropped to my knees forgot about their own business and watched me with high interest. "Y-you just barely told me you loved me, and now you expect me to marry you?"

I faltered for a bit before quickly regaining my confidence. "Yeah," I said, my eyes flicking momentarily to a female clerk who watched us affectionately, her hand pressed over her heart. "Yep. That was the plan, anyway."

Leaning down to whisper in my ear, Sango said, "But I haven't told you I love you back yet."

Her childlike quality caught me slightly off-guard and I laughed lightly. "There's still time to do that too, if you like."

She sighed, her breath tickling my ear before she stood back up, looking at me boldly as she declared, "I love you, too." Her chest sank a little as the girl looking at the necklace display giggled behind her hand at her bravado.

I kissed her hand again, encouraging her to ignore the girl. "Good. That's great. You have no idea how happy you've just made me. Now about the marriage thing…?"

"Oh, just say yes already, honey!" The female clerk who'd been watching us so fondly suddenly cut in, walking around her display of charm bracelets and bringing out half a dozen rings from behind their glass cases for Sango to browse through. "If you don't marry him, I will!"

I laughed again, and after a moment, Sango let out a shy laugh of her own. She tugged on my hands, and obediently I stood, enfolding her in my arms as she took her free arm back and wrapped it around my middle.

"Okay," I heard her whisper into my chest, then nuzzling her face into my shirt, she mumbled more assuredly, "I mean, yes. I love you, Miroku."

"I love you," I responded, a little louder to inform my audience that she'd indeed said yes.

I gave the thumbs-up to the female clerk, who winked at me knowingly and clapped her hands. I pulled her away from my chest slightly, just enough to tilt her chin up towards mine so I could finally kiss her. I heard more frantic clapping from where Kagome-chan stood, and I figured she'd gotten over her temporary disapproval of how I'd proposed and soon the entire jewelry store erupted in modest applause. I smirked to myself as I finally broke the kiss. I still had it, and looking down into Sango's earnest and half-lidded eyes, I knew that as long as she was mine, I would never lose it.


	19. Chapter Eighteen: March 20th

**Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi**

**Chapter Eighteen: March 20****th**

It'd taken some crafty maneuvering to convince the Board to extend their imposed marriage deadline over six months out from their original one, which I'd conveniently missed. Sango and I had chosen to wait until after her time in physical therapy and her probation period had ended to schedule our wedding, gladly taking the opportunity to spend time together as an actual couple and regimenting a strict Saturday date night routine. Yet the day had finally arrived, and my own anticipation about sealing the deal was nearly frightening. If my willingness to settle for this one woman for the rest of my life meant anything, it was that there was no denying how much I loved her.

In any case, I was met with surprisingly very little resistance concerning my decision to marry an ex-murderer. And while Hachi was perhaps the least surprised at our sudden engagement, it also became quickly apparent that a few others had seen it coming. At least Kagome-chan had admitted to hoping it would happen after she mentioned seeing the looks Sango would give me when my back was turned.

"I mean, obviously I knew something was up when I walked in on you two in the hotel room," she'd explained over an office lunch one day, "But initially I chalked it up to your lecherous habits. Then I saw the way Sango-chan would steal glances at you when she knew you weren't looking and I wanted to just smack you across the face for not doing something about it!"

Kohaku-kun, whom I'd originally labeled as a potential enemy for wanting to marry his big sister, was surprisingly supportive as well. "She told me she thought you were cute, once," he had admitted, crinkling his nose in minute disgust. "After she first threatened you, I guess. I remember because I thought it was weird; Neesan would never say anything to me about the people she was sent after."

Inuyasha had, in my opinion, the greatest reaction, if only because it was so like him to be so ignorant. He'd confronted me after my spontaneous jewelry store proposal, sending a quick whack to the back of my head.

"What the hell, Miroku? I didn't even know you two were dating!"

"We weren't," I'd informed him irritably, rubbing the sore spot where he'd hit me. "But I love her, so I'm going to marry her anyway, okay?"

He scoffed. "That's batshit insane, you know that right?"

"Nah," I'd disagreed, grinning impishly at his disbelief. "It actually works. You'll see."

The look he'd given me then was absolutely priceless: dubious, curious, and baffled all at one. It was that look that cemented his reaction as one of my favorites even after we broke the news to the public, and that included incomparable ones like Kikyo-san and Aoi Koga.

All things considered, as I stood scrutinizing my reflection in the mirror and fought to get my bowtie to lie a little straighter on my neck, I knew my marrying Sango was going to be met with just as much doubt and disagreement as support. While I also knew I shouldn't be letting these things get to me, I couldn't help but admit to myself that the doubters and naysayers were grounded in just as much as, if not more truth than all those who congratulated me.

I never doubted myself however, and I knew nothing was going to make me back down from this. More importantly, I didn't _want_ to back down from this. I'd been through too much to get to this point, and damn it, if anyone deserved a chance at a happy-ever-after, it was Sango and I.

Sango, though, was a different story.

I'd known that her adjusting to a normal life was going to be hard enough on her on its own, but suddenly being thrown into a media spotlight after her introduction as my fiancée was nearly pushing her over the edge. Obviously the life of an assassin was solitary, and Sango was often at odds trying to figure out how to handle this new swarm of unknown people wanting to talk with her all the time. While I initially tried to be understanding, the fear that the pressure would become too great for her to handle and she'd leave me was nearly suffocating me.

My reflection was turning into a crumbling mess of worry and doubt, and I was sure the real me looked much worse. I knew Inuyasha, as my best man, was probably due back in the room at any moment to continue his duties of calming the groom before the ceremony, but I couldn't wait any longer. Not to mention that he was not the person I wanted to see right now. I left my dressing room, navigated my way through the overly decorated hotel hallway, outfitted just for our wedding, trying to remember which room I'd seen Kagome-chan sneak into. Naturally I was forbidden from seeing Sango for the day until the actual wedding, but that didn't stop me from trying to keep tabs on her nonetheless.

Just as I was about to open the door, the knob twisted from the other side and I panicked, ducking behind an ornate vase showcasing the flowers Sango had decided on. The door opened slightly, and I caught a glimpse of Kagome-chan's arm as she paused on her way out, presumably finishing up a conversation with my soon-to-be wife still inside the room. Their voices were too low for me to hear anything though.

Finally Kagome-chan stepped fully out of the room, in full regalia of the maid-of-honor and thankfully headed further down the hall and away from me. I waited until she turned the corner before I stepped out from behind the vase. Sparing a single moment to debate whether or not to knock before entering the room, I decided against it and opened the door, poking just my head into the room.

Sango's back was towards me, and she hadn't seemed to notice my entrance. Though I could only see her back, I could tell she was deep in thought; her shoulders hunched and her hands held to her face contemplatively. From my position, it was hard to see exactly what she saw in the full-length mirror she stood in front of, and I wondered if I dared enter the room any further. My musing was cut short however, as unexpectedly she interrupted both my thoughts and her own with a soft snort.

"You know, I can see you in my mirror."

I grinned guiltily and stepped fully into the room, closing the door soundly behind me. Actually being inside the room gave me a perfect view of my bride, and I happily took advantage of the opportunity to drink in her reflection in the mirror directly opposite me.

As per my request, her hair was left down, though the top half was pinned back with her veil. Her dress was form-fitting until it flowed out fully from her waist and completely covered her feet as it brushed the matted carpet of her dressing room floor. The top of it was intricately embroidered with several hundred little diamond and pearl beads, swirling around in some floral design that was undoubtedly expensive and perfectly fitting of the wife of a highly successful businessman. Again I was left to vehemently deny the existence of anyone else out there for me but her.

"You look beautiful," I told her earnestly, deliberately meeting her eyes through the mirror.

Her reflection blushed a little and her lips curled towards that defiant smile of hers that I loved so much. "I thought it was bad luck for you to see the bride before the wedding," she retorted mildly.

I shrugged this off dismissively. "Trust me, it'll be worth it." Keeping my eyes locked with her reflection's, I walked towards her, wrapping my arms around her small waist and being careful not to crush her veil as I embraced her from behind. There was perfume sprayed just beneath her ears and I kissed her there, feeling her skin heat up in a blush as my lips stayed and traveled down her neck and jaw methodically.

"W-what are you doing, Miroku?" she sighed quietly, failing in her attempt to reprimand me as her voice sounded completely gentle and sincerely curious.

I hummed against her neck as I debated an answer, forgetting my effort to not smash her dress or veil as I all but crushed her against me, letting my hands wander with blind enthusiasm as I latched onto her neck again with reignited fervor. She started squirming against me, and I almost felt offended by her apparent struggling with me until I realized that she was trying to turn around in the embrace. Finally, I let her go long enough for her to face me and wrap her arms around my neck before I impatiently captured my lips with hers. My hands traveled down to her ass, cupping it and bringing her in tighter against me as I stepped forward into the embrace until her back hit the mirror. It wobbled precariously, finally tipping backwards into the wall behind it as I relentlessly pressed my body against Sango's until every dip and curve was pushed forcefully into me. The tilted mirror proved a horrible thing to lean against and I clumsily tried to move from the mirror to the wall, only to trip for my effort and bring us both to the floor. Not to be deterred, I hurriedly rolled her onto the soft rug underneath me just as she collapsed into my chest, finding a position that was more or less like the one back in the hotel room all those months ago as I pushed my tongue hungrily against hers.

Sango had, rather insistently and daringly, informed me of her status as a virgin, something that hadn't taken me by any sort of surprise. She was still very young, after all, and if she'd been gallivanting off with the opposite sex at her age I would've been a little—if somewhat hypocritically—worried. The purpose of telling me such, as I'd learned only moments after, was to lay down some moral law: she intended to stay as such until her wedding night. It was a heavy blow—I'd already gone so long without sex, and waiting until our honeymoon officially commenced would be the longest I'd ever gone, though I was determined to obey. It'd been hard at first, though Sango was diligent about informing me when we'd gone too far. What hadn't helped however, was those times when we'd repeat the hotel room scenario, take it a few tantalizing steps further, and just when I'd begin to think that she'd abandoned her virgin-bride obligation, she'd push me away, only to lean back in, her lips kissing my ear as she'd whisper that she needed something to keep me coming back for more.

In short, in the six months of our engagement, she'd driven me absolutely fucking insane.

Insane or not, however, I did keep coming back for more. Even currently, with my hips furiously grinding against hers and her hands seeking mine to fold our fingers together, I couldn't blame her for being so unattainable. I'd never been involved with a woman who made me work so hard in the relationship before, and I had to admit, the challenge was stimulating.

Eventually I could feel her begin to pull back, as far as she could being sandwiched between me and the floor anyway, and I slowly started reeling myself back in obediently. Our kisses became shorter, our embrace loosened, and the pressure of my hips against hers lightened. I kept my fingers intertwined with hers as I consigned myself to being content with soft, less urgent, less demanding kisses, only occasionally wandering down to her chin and jaw.

There was a soft knock at the door, so sudden and unexpected that I was still debating about whether or not to react to it when the door opened and Kagome-chan reentered the room. She seemed confused for a moment, then her eyes dropped to the floor to where Sango and I still lay more or less entangled and she immediately frowned disapprovingly.

"What the hell, Sensei?" she scolded me, placing her hands on her hips in a telltale sign of impatience.

I sighed, testing Kagome-chan's patience further as I placed one last kiss to Sango's lips before withdrawing my hands from hers to boost myself up. "What?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"Oh, don't give me that! You know you shouldn't be in here. Inuyasha's been looking everywhere for you and honestly, control yourself a little better, please, Miroku-sensei! I'm tired of walking in on the two of you like this!" She shooed me off of Sango and helped my fiancée to her feet, her frown deepening as she smoothed out the wrinkles we'd made in her dress.

"Well, maybe you could give us a little more warning next time," I offered helpfully, giving my tuxedo a quick pat-down and reaching over to help straightening out Sango's dress only to have my hand slapped away for my effort.

I grinned impishly and righted the still-tipped mirror so Kagome-chan could check over her efforts as she placed Sango in front of it. Sango, who was still a little red in the face from being discovered as we were, remained quiet and let her maid-of-honor fuss over her while she obediently moved her arms out of the way. She met my gaze, offering me another hint of that brazen smile of hers before she glanced back at Kagome-chan, who was glaring at me lethally.

"Yes?" I inquired unnecessarily. I knew exactly why she was so irritated with me.

"Leave!" Kagome-chan bellowed angrily, pointing at the door and ushering me through it. "You do realize the ceremony starts in less than an hour, right? Get your ass into the ballroom already!"

"Alright, alright, I'm going!" I held my hands up in surrender on my way out of the room, only to turn back around once I'd reached the door, stalling my departure for a moment longer. Ignoring the look on Kagome-chan's face, I looked at Sango, once again conversing with her reflection in the mirror. "I'll see you soon, right?"

She nodded, a little hesitantly at first, then more assuredly. "Yeah. I'm not going anywhere."

For the first time, I noticed she looked a little at odds with herself, though in light of our recent time together and the fact that in exactly thirty-nine minutes this woman would legally be mine for time and eternity, I dismissed it without a second thought. Chalking it up to pre-wedding jitters, I grinned one final time before I stepped out of the room, pulling the door closed behind me.

* * *

I watched as the clock on the far end of the hotel ballroom, where the ceremony would take place, ticked slowly towards the twelve. Eight months, one day, and fourteen hours since the first day I'd ever laid eyes on Sango, and here we were: officially about to be married. Ignoring the overly populated seating area before me I kept my eyes focused on the large double doors directly opposite of me, where in less than a minute and a half I'd see my bride enter the room. I'd never felt so impatient in my life.

Being an international businessman, our wedding was westernized, if only to cater to my European and North American guests. There was no missing my fellow Japanese guests, however, as brightly colored and coordinating kimonos were to be seen just as much as cocktail dresses or suits and ties. I wasn't quite sure how a western wedding would play out; I only had a vague idea from the get-go and intended to just play along with whatever was supposed to happen, though as the organist to my left started playing the traditional march and the first person through the doors was not Sango, my stomach fell slightly. I hadn't expected there to be a procession. I mean, how many people did Sango intimately know?

Leaning over to Inuyasha, who stood dutifully to my immediate left, I whispered, "What the hell is this? Where's Sango?" I eyed all of the people now walking up the aisle, Kohaku-kun, Kagome-chan, and Hachi's wife Minako-san with disdain.

"Have patience!" Inuyasha snapped under his breath. "She's coming."

Finally, the music took on a different cadence and the guests stood collectively, all turning towards the doors to welcome Sango into the room. My stomach immediately jumped back up to my throat as I watched anticipatively. This was it, I was sure of it. She was coming now.

Except she wasn't.

The organist played a few measures of music grandly, ending exactly on cue and turning to face the minister as the small procession joined me up front. She did a double-take upon seeing Kohaku-kun in his place beside Inuyasha, with Kagome-chan and Minako-san standing across from them, yet her confusion was warranted. After all, where was the bride?

I glared at Kagome-chan pointedly—she had been the last one with Sango—though she shrugged her shoulders helplessly, exchanging a look with Inuyasha. There were a few coughs from the audience, and I heard several of them shift around awkwardly, presumably wondering if they should remain standing or if this wedding would take place at all.

Inuyasha waved for the organist to play again, and after verifying with the minister, she obeyed, beginning the march right at Sango's cue. She played a couple bars, twisting around in her seat to keep an eye on the double doors like everybody else. The music faded as it became apparent that Sango had missed her second cue as well. The organist looked vulnerable and confused as she again turned towards the minister to learn what to do next.

My whole world was collapsing in on me. My fears from earlier today in the dressing room swarmed around me, stampeding over my heart ruthlessly as I tried to sort out my jumbled thoughts. This couldn't possibly be happening. I'd seen Sango not even forty minutes ago; she'd seemed just as enthusiastic as I'd been to be married. Or maybe that was the kissing. It was hard to tell now, in retrospect. I remembered her strange look as I left, and the highly contemplative state I'd first found her in. Was it possible that she really was debating running away all along? As I stood in front of the minister with no bride to meet me, it didn't appear that I had any other option to believe.

The minister nodded for the organist to play the march one last time and, almost reluctantly, she obeyed, timidly plunking out the first notes as the guests started to murmur.

Finally, on her third cue from the organ, Sango poked her head around the doorway of the ballroom. The organist seemed surprised to see her and the music halted momentarily before flowing clumsily into the rest of the march. The murmuring from the audience, however, didn't entirely cease as Sango stepped awkwardly into the room and took a few preparatory breaths before she began her walk down the aisle.

The nervousness and dread didn't dissipate from my stomach upon seeing Sango arrive. There was the expected foolishness I felt at nearly being left at the altar by my fiancée, though irritation was the most prevalent emotion I felt. I still loved her more than anything, that I didn't doubt, yet I now wondered if there really was a mistake in proposing so soon.

I didn't have much time to sort out these new thoughts as Sango ran up the aisle, coming to stand at my side in record time and leaving the poor organist to stumble through the ending of the march hurriedly. Sango hastily adjusted her veil, and switched her bouquet into her opposite arm as she linked the other through mine. I watched as she exchanged a small, reassuring smile with Kagome-chan before we turned our attention to the minister. The minister, who seemed to be riding high on the opportunity to conduct the prolific Tsujitani wedding ceremony and was therefore oblivious to the larger awkward feeling that had settled over the ballroom, spread his arms wide to begin is undoubtedly lengthy sermon.

I cut a quick glance down at my soon-to-be wife. She looked every bit as beautiful as when I'd snuck into her dressing room to see her, though I did note several beads of sweat dotted across her forehead. It wasn't a heavy or noticeable sweat by any means, though it was still excessive for a short, twenty-foot jog up the procession aisle.

I leaned down to her discreetly, careful not the throw the overly-wordy minister off his track and said lowly, "You seem winded."

Sango looked startled, and for a moment, minutely guilty. "Do I?"

"Yeah. Is it warm in here?"

Frowning at my pointed question, she shook her head and muttered, "No."

"Did you suddenly feel like running a few laps before the ceremony?" If my previous inquiry didn't strike too big a nerve, this one certainly did. Sango pursed her lips in an angry pout and refused to answer me. Huffing, I turned back to face the minister only to see Inuyasha giving me an unusually hard stare.

I frowned. "What?" I mouthed at him.

He jerked his head subtly towards the audience. I cut a quick glance over my shoulder, taking in several judgmental and disapproving stares directed at Sango and I. Turning back to Inuyasha, I saw him look emphatically at Sango and then me.

"Shut … _up_," he snarled under his breath between clenched teeth.

I frowned again and turned back to the minister, who was apparently the only one unaware of mine and Sango's quiet yet heated discussion. I tried to ignore the demands welling up inside me, the need to know why I was very nearly the victim of a runaway bride.

"I thought you said you weren't going anywhere," I whispered violently to Sango after a short reprieve. I ignored Inuyasha's obvious eye-roll.

She groaned quietly, shutting her eyes tightly in frustration. "I wasn't," she defended shortly.

"Really?" I countered skeptically. "Because, from where I stood, it looks like you couldn't get away fast enough."

Rolling her eyes heaven-ward, Sango whispered desperately, "Listen, Miroku, do we have to do this _now?_" She flicked her eyes nervously to the minister, who was currently rambling on about all the blessings marital life would supposedly bring. When I gave her a disgruntled and pointed look that clearly told her I wasn't going to let the matter drop until she gave me a straight and honest answer, Sango sighed, defeated. She cast a silent plea for help at both Kagome-chan and Inuyasha, who both shrugged at her uselessly.

"I wasn't running away," she insisted again. "I was trying to figure out an escape route."

"Because that's totally different from running away," I interjected bitterly.

"Would you just listen? I needed an escape route in case _you_ left _me_. The last thing I need right now is to be embarrassed in front of all these important people." Another glance over my shoulder told me our guests were still gossiping away about us bickering away before the minister, as if to prove her point.

I was stymied. _Me_, leave _her?_ Honestly, the idea that I would even have a reason to leave her was baffling and had never occurred to me.

"Why would I leave you?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Sango sighed again. "Don't play stupid, Miroku," she begged, sounding miserable. "I know about Koharu."

I'd figured that Kagome-chan would've told her about my former fiancée sometime or another, so her reasoning still escaped me.

"What about her?" I pressed, smiling vaguely at the minister as he gestured towards us grandly while loudly assuring us of everyone's happiness at our union today.

Sango shifted, clearly uncomfortable, and her grip on my arm tightened as she mumbled, "I was worried you'd change your mind again. I was worried that you'd realize all the things you were giving up." Her voice was quiet and shameful.

She'd caught me off-guard. She thought I'd be sacrificing something by marrying her? That I'd made a mistake in calling off my engagement to Koharu-chan so I could marry her—the woman that I was truly in love with?

I placed my hand on hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I love you," I informed her, my voice muted yet firm. "I'm not giving up anything by marrying you."

Sango looked at me anxiously, daring to hope. "Really?"

"Really," I confirmed with a smile. "I know I was going out on a limb by asking you to marry me so soon, and I know it was going out on an even bigger limb for you to say yes." There were tears in her eyes now, though stubbornly, she refused to let them fall. "I'm really grateful you did, though. I can't imagine a better life for me than one where I can be your husband." I gave her a subtle, encouraging wink.

She smiled, just as brave and honest and true as the day I'd seen her first genuinely smile at me. "Miroku…"

"Tsujitani-san?"

My attention snapped back to the minister. "Huh?"

"If you are ready, I'm sure your many guests would gladly like to know if you will take this lovely lady to wife," he said, his candor undercut with impatience. I wondered how long I'd kept him waiting.

"Oh," I said lamely, before laughing off my unintentional stalling dismissively. "Yeah, I do." Sango squeezed my arm again and I looked down at her, unable to stop my grin from widening stupidly. "Of course I do."

The minister clapped his hands together, over-emphasizing his approving pride and my affirmative answer. "How wonderful! And do you, Mizushima-san, take Tsujitani-san to be your lawfully-wedded husband?"

Sango blushed a deep red, nodding and answering in the affirmative as well. We slipped the rings onto the appropriate fingers; afterwards, I didn't even wait for the minister to signal for the sealing kiss before I cupped her face and brought her lips to mine covetously.

There was applause from the audience and I was able to detect several swift clicks of cameras brought in by the journalists and reporters who had undoubtedly snuck their way into this private affair to catch Sango's first moments as Mrs. Tsujitani. I didn't care, and I didn't think Sango particularly did either as she tossed her arms around my neck, smashing her bouquet carelessly into my shoulders as we continued to kiss.

As my new wife and I supplied the photographers with a field day of intimate pictures of our first moments together as a married couple, I was able to catch a bit of Kagome-chan and Inuyasha's conversation as they stood by us at the altar.

"Come on, Inuyasha," Kagome-chan was chiding him, "Lighten up. You're at a wedding!"

Inuyasha huffed. "Yeah, the sudden wedding of a lecherous CEO and a woman, who, by all accounts, should probably be in jail."

Kagome-chan didn't offer ant spoken reproach for demand of explanation, though the silent implication must've been enough as Inuyasha continued on an incredulous scoff, "Are we really going to pretend that everything is okay and normal from now on?"

"Yep!" Kagome-chan's reply was cheery and resolute.

"Alright," Inuyasha conceded, "I just hope no one asks them the story of how they met."

I didn't get to see if Kagome-chan reacted in any way to Inuyasha's regard, currently distracted by my wife's lips as I was, though I did smirk a little into the kiss. There was something to agree with in Inuyasha's point: Sango and I did not have the quote-unquote normal beginning. But, then again, since when has there been any fun in being normal?

**The End**


	20. Endnote

**Endnote**

It got pretty intense for a while there, didn't it? And trust me when I say both Sango and I are more than relieved that it's over. We can go about our lives, moving forward and not looking back. Of course, being the new parents of a pair of daughters, identical twins, born exactly nine months from the day of our honeymoon is an excellent distraction from the past as well. Funny how stuff like that works out, isn't it?

So, yeah, when all is said and done, it was quite the journey to get to where we are today. While we wouldn't change it for the world, I think I can speak for the both of us when I say that we're glad accepting and/or living with the difficult doesn't have to be a part of our lives anymore. We're a family now and being a father and husband has never been easier. No more biting any bullets; we're done.

(That was kind of cool, right? Working that back in there at the end? Nice.)

* * *

**AN: There ya go! Completed and done! Finished even. There is a sequel in debate (when I say "debate" I mean "a frequent musing in and out of my own thoughts." Anyway, let me know what you think. Thanks for sticking it out with me! **

**Peace, pookie92**


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